CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Churches: Theft

Anne McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what estimate the Church Commissioners have made of the impact that the level of thefts from churches has had on the average cost of insurance premiums for churches over the last three years.

Stuart Bell: The Commissioners do not hold figures for church insurance premiums. We understand that the rates charged by Ecclesiastical, the leading insurer of Anglican churches, have until now been unaffected. The situation has recently become so serious, with the very substantial increase in metal thefts, that it is inevitable that premiums will be affected in the future.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Members: Correspondence

Theresa May: To ask the Leader of the House when she will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Maidenhead of 27 November 2007, on her Labour Party deputy leadership campaign and declarations under the ministerial code.

Harriet Harman: I have nothing to add to what I said in the House in response to a question from the right hon. Member for Maidenhead during business questions on 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 435.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electoral Commission: Grants

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to an Electoral Commission press release dated 12 February on grants allocated to community-based organisations, what steps the Commission is taking to ensure that such funding is awarded to politically impartial organisations.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that all grant-funded organisations must comply with the terms and conditions of the scheme, which state that projects must be run and delivered in an impartial and unbiased manner and that no part of the grant shall be used to promote party or other political purposes.
	All grants are monitored through quarterly reports and annual visits by Commission officials.

Liberal Democrats: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what progress has been made on the Electoral Commission's investigation into the permissibility of the donations by Mr. Michael Brown to the Liberal Democrat Party.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that the position remains as stated in the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 16 May 2007,  Official Report, column 748W.

Television

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many plasma television screens have been purchased by the Commission, and at what cost, in the last 24 months.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that nine plasma television screens were purchased in the last 24 months at a total cost of £11,215.52. Six screens were purchased when the Commission's London office was refurbished and three when the Commission opened new offices in Exeter, York and Coventry.

WALES

Brofiscin Quarry: Hazardous Substances

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans on what timetable have been agreed by his Department and the Environment Agency Wales for the removal of toxic waste from Brofiscin quarry; what estimate he has made of the associated costs; and who is liable to meet such costs.

Paul Murphy: The Environment Agency is currently conducting an appraisal of remedial treatment solutions and the associated costs for Brofiscin Quarry. It is also investigating who should be responsible for the cost of remediation. In doing so, the Environment Agency must act in accordance with the relevant legislation and statutory guidance. The contaminated land regime does not prescribe a timetable for these processes.

Brofiscin Quarry: Hazardous Substances

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effects of (i) Agent Orange derivatives, (ii) polychlorinated biphenyls and (iii) dioxins on (A) current and (B) future residents in areas around Brofiscin quarry; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: It is the responsibility of Rhondda Cynon Taf county borough council to investigate and respond to public health-related matters such as exposure of local residents to any airborne vapours, gases or dusts.
	All investigations to date have indicated that there is no identifiable harm or immediate danger to human health from the quarry. The local authority has obtained funding from the Welsh Assembly Government for a study to investigate the presence or absence of vapours from the quarry site which will evaluate any potential risk to human health. The investigation is scheduled to start in March and to last 12 months.

Brofiscin Quarry: Hazardous Substances

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to act against those responsible for the illegal dumping of toxic waste at Brofiscin quarry.

Paul Murphy: The Environment Agency is currently investigating who should be responsible for the cost of remediating Brofiscin quarry. Once its investigation is complete and a determination made, the Environment Agency will consult with these 'appropriate persons' on remediation options and costs. The 'appropriate persons' may remediate the land voluntarily, or, alternatively, the Environment Agency may serve a Remediation Notice detailing what work needs to be done. In certain circumstances, the Environment Agency may carry out the work itself and seek to recover costs from the 'appropriate persons'.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what proportion of parliamentary questions for answer on a named day to his Department received an  (a) holding and  (b) substantive answer on the named day in each year since 2001.

David Cairns: The vast majority of parliamentary questions tabled to the Scotland Office are for 'ordinary' written reply. However, of those tabled as named day, approximately 85 per cent. have received a substantive answer on the named day since 2001.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Crime: Drugs

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Police Service of Northern Ireland spent on combating illicit drugs in each of the last two years.

Paul Goggins: Information in the form requested is not readily available and to attempt to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Police enforcement regarding drug-related crime spans all business areas of the organisation. It is not only the drugs squad within crime operations that combat 'illicit drugs'. Tactical Support Groups, organised crime operations, districts, special operations and roads policing all have their part to play and a breakdown of the costing within each of these areas for this particular aspect of the roles they provide is not readily available.

Departmental Home Working

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in his Department have been able to work from home in the last 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: Some members of staff in the Northern Ireland Office work from home as and when circumstances allow and with agreement from their local management, but we do not hold the numbers centrally.
	The Department is currently examining whether it would be possible to expand these arrangements bearing in mind the additional costs, security, and health and safety issues.

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the  (a) value and  (b) start date was of each private finance initiative project approved by his Department in each of the last three financial years.

Shaun Woodward: The capital value and start date for every signed PFI project is recorded centrally on the Treasury's website at
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public_private_partnerships/ppp_pfi_stats_cfm

Departmental Travel

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many journeys his Department's  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants made between London and Northern Ireland on official business in each month since May 2007.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Month  Secretary of State/Minister of State  Civil servants  Total 
			 May 2007 21 359 380 
			 June 2007 16 311 327 
			 July 2007 12 297 309 
			 August 2007 1 131 132 
			 September 2007 11 285 296 
			 October 2007 21 373 394 
			 November 2007 16 338 354 
			 December 2007 12 301 313 
			 January 2008 10 318 328 
			 February 2008(1) 11 255 266 
			 (1) The month of February consists of bookings up to 18 February only.

Departmental Travel

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department and its agencies spent on first-class travel in the last 12 months for which figures are available, broken down by staff grade.

Shaun Woodward: In the last 12 months there were a total of 15 first class journeys by air. The breakdown by grade is as follows:
	
		
			  Grade  Number of flights 
			 SCS 3 
			 A 3 
			 Minister 9 
		
	
	The cost of each of these trips includes the cost of domestic and internal flights (in the country of either origin or arrival) which was at a class other than first class. It is not possible to disaggregate the cost to give a figure for the element of the journey which was first class travel.
	In the same period there were 333 first class rail journeys, at a cost of £8,866.00, as follows:
	
		
			  Grade  Number of rail journeys 
			 SCS 31 
			 A 41 
			 Minister 87 
			 B1 21 
			 B2 101 
			 C 13 
			 Dl 1 
			 D2 2 
			 Grade not specified 36 
		
	
	The information on rail travel is based on our centralised travel booking records only and excludes journeys booked directly by officials and recouped as part of their expenses claim. These journeys are few in number and could be identified only at disproportionate cost.
	All flight and rail journeys are shown as single journeys.

Drinking Water

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on bottled water in the latest year for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: During the financial year 2006-07, the Northern Ireland Office (excluding its Agencies) spent £33,665 on the purchase of bottled water. This figure includes the supply of bottles of water used in water cooler machines.

Fairtrade Initiative

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to promote Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 among staff in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The Government are committed to improving market access for producers in developing countries through increased participation in fair and sustainable supply chains. Each Government Department is responsible for making its own decisions on such products, against the background of the Government's value for money policy, the EC procurement rules and the Department's objectives.
	I have ensured that staff with responsibility for purchasing have been made aware of Fairtrade Fortnight and information has been put on our departmental intranet to advise all staff. My Department does use a range of Fairtrade produce.

Telephone Tapping

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to permit the use of wiretap evidence in Northern Ireland courts.

Shaun Woodward: My objective is to include Northern Ireland in the implementation of the Chilcot recommendations wherever possible. To that end, my Department will be playing a full role in the further work that the Prime Minister has asked to be done.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa: Overseas Aid

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what UK bilateral aid programmes are under way in  (a) Nigeria,  (b) Kenya,  (c) Botswana,  (d) Senegal,  (e) Angola, and  (f) Niger; and what the duration and cost is of each.

Gillian Merron: The following tables show all the UK bilateral aid programmes with a value of £500,000 or more currently under way in Nigeria, Kenya, Angola and Niger. The UK has no bilateral aid programmes with Botswana and Senegal.
	
		
			  Nigeria 
			Commitments 
			   Programme  £  Date 
			 HIV/AIDS Promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health for HIV/AIDS Reduction (PSRHHR) 52.8 million January 2002-December 2008 
			  BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) 5.6 million February 2005-March 2008 
			  Strengthening Nigeria's Response to HIV/AIDS (SNR) 25 million August 2004-July 2009 
			  Institutional Support to the National Response to HIV and AIDS 600,000 November 2006-October 2008 
			 
			 Health Partnership for Transforming Health Systems (PATHS) 56 million June 2002-June 2008 
			  Health Commodities and Equipment Procurement (HCP) 30 million March 2005-Febrary 2009 
			  Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON) 3.5 million February 2005-January 2009 
			  Save the Children Fund (UK) Nigeria 3.6 million June 2006-May 2010 
			  Revival of Routine Immunisation in Northern Nigeria (RI) 20 million October 2006-September 2011 
			 
			 Education Girls Education Project (GEP) 26 million January 2005-December 2007—extension pending 
			  Capacity for Universal Basic Education (CUBE) 18 million August 2003-August 2008 
			 
			 Water and Sanitation UNICEF Water and Sanitation Programme 15 million November 2002-November 2008 
			 
			 Support for Macroeconomic Reform Debt Management (DMO) 4.3 million April 2003-August 2008 
			  Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI)—Phase 1.1 million September 2007-August 2008 
			  Privatisation Programme (BPE) 7.4 million August 2004-March 2009 
			  Policy and Knowledge (PAK) Facility 7.4 million September 2003-April 2009 
			 
			 Support for Microeconomic Reform and Agriculture Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFINA) 8.2 million October 2006-December 2011 
			  Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (NIAF) 13.5 million November 2007-December 2011 
			  Investment Climate Programme (ICP) 6.4 million November 2006-Dec 2010 
			  Promoting Opportunities in product and service markets (PrOpCom) 17.5 million April 2006-December 2010 
			 
			 Support to improve service delivery State and Local Government Programme 32.2 million March 2000-June 2008 
			  Public Service Reform (PSR) 19.2 million April 2005-September 2007 
			  Service Delivery Initiative (SERVICOM) 7.5 million October 2004-December 2008 
			 
			 Support to improved political governance and justice reform Strengthening the National Assembly (SNAP) 2.65 million November 2004-November 2008 
			  Security, Justice and Growth Programme (SJG) 30 million March 2002-August 2009 
			  Coalitions for Change Programme (C4C) 7.5 million September 2006-September 2008 
			  Supporting Transparency and Accountability in the Niger Delta (STAND) 2.65 million May 2008 
			 
			 Support for Donor Harmonisation Country Partnership Facility 2.6 million April 2006-December 2010 
		
	
	
		
			  Kenya 
			Commitments 
			   Programme  £ million  Date 
			 Health Malaria control in Kenya 16.96 1999-2008 
			  Social marketing of ITNs 58.94 2001-09 
			  Essential Health Services 7.5 2005-09 
			  HIV/AIDS (HAPAC) 40 1999-2008 
			  Social Marketing of Condoms 11.36 2003-09 
			  HIV/AIDS (new) 40 2008-13 
			  Health Sector Reform (new) 100 2008-13 
			 
			 Education Support to Kenya Education (Financial Aid) 50 2005-10 
			  Support to Kenya Education (Technical Assistance) 5 2005-10 
			 
			 Social Protection Social Protection 122.6 2007-17 
			 
			 Governance Public Finance Management 0.7 Up to 2009 
			  Public Sector Reform 3.6 2006-09 
			  Public Sector Reform National School of Government (Financial Aid) 0.3 — 
			  National Statistical Systems (Financial Aid) 4 Up to 2010 
			  National Statistical Systems (Technical Assistance) 2.5 Up to 2010 
			  Political Empowerment Programme 7.635 1997-2008 
			  Parliamentary Strengthening 0.9 2007-09 
			 
			 Growth Support to Kenya Land Reform 4.08 Ends 2009 
			  Financial and Legal Sector (Financial Assistance) 5.762 Ends 2009 
			  Financial and Legal Sector (Technical Assistance) 0.238 Ends 2009 
			  Financial Sector Deepening 11.37 Ends 2010 
			  Business Services and Marketing 4.211 Ends 2008 
			  Trade and Poverty Programme 0.277 — 
			  Kenya Growth Framework 0.610 — 
			  Avian Flu 1.050 — 
			 
			 Humanitarian Various (food crisis, flood, medical) 40.637 From 2004 
		
	
	
		
			  Angola 
			Commitments 
			   Programme  £  Date 
			 Governance National Democratic Institute: Enhancing the Capacity of Civil Society and the Media to Engage in the Electoral Process 995,000 1 January 2008-31 December 2009 
			  World Bank: Strengthening Public Sector Management Capacity 500,000 1 September 2007-1 December 2009 
			  Luanda Urban Poverty Programme: Building Influence, Strengthening Governance—(basic services to slum dwellers) 1,776,785 1 October 2007-3 September 2010 
			 
			 Health and Education UNICEF: Support to the Country Programme Action Plan for Angola—Focus on support to improve health and education systems 4,625,000 1 April 2006-31 December 2008 
		
	
	
		
			  Niger 
			Commitments 
			   Programme  £  Date 
			 Education Support to Girls Basic Education Through A Delegated Cooperation Arrangement with France 7,105,000 1 November 2006-1 April 2010 
			 
			 Health Save the children Niger nutrition and health response 2007-08 750,000 1 May 2007-1 October 2008 
			  Niger Action Centre Le Faim Malnutrition Prevention in Maradi 880,779 1 May 2007-1 October 2008 
			 
			 Humanitarian Niger Disaster Risk Reduction 2,908,550 1 July 2007-1 March 2010

Departmental Equality

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of the duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Gillian Merron: DFID published its disability equality scheme on 4 December 2006. This can be viewed on the DFID website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/search/proxy/query.html?col=dfid&qt=disability+equality+scheme&charset=iso-8859-1
	DFID holds the Jobcentre Plus 'Two Ticks' disability symbol which promotes the recruitment and retention of people with disabilities and has a disability champion, a disability liaison officer and a strengthened disability forum network.
	A central diversity team will continue to monitor progress against the action plan and report on progress in DFID's 2007-08 Annual Diversity report, to be published in March 2008.

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the  (a) value and  (b) start date was of each private finance initiative project approved by his Department in each of the last three financial years.

Shahid Malik: DFID has not entered into any private finance initiative projects within the last three years.

Departmental Translation Services

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent on translation services by his Department, associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06,  (d) 2006-07 and  (e) 2007-08 to date.

Shahid Malik: A full record of payments for translation services is not held centrally, and could not be produced without incurring disproportionate cost.
	No payments for translation services were made by non-departmental public bodies. DFID has no agencies.

Departmental Translation Services

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what documents his Department, associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies has translated for people in the UK who do not speak English.

Shahid Malik: None of DFID's documents that have been translated are primarily aimed at people in the UK who do not speak English. Documents are translated primarily for audiences in the countries in which DFID works such as Government officials, non-governmental organisations, and other stakeholders in civil society.
	No payments for translation services were made by non-departmental public bodies. DFID has no agencies.

Departmental Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many and what proportion of Parliamentary questions for answer on a named day to his Department received an  (a) holding and  (b) substantive answer on the named day in each year since 2001.

Douglas Alexander: Details of named-day parliamentary questions for the 2006-07 parliamentary session and the 2007-08 to date are as follows:
	
		
			  Session  Total named day parliamentary questions  Holding answer issued  Substantive answer by named day 
			 2006-07 207 20 187 
			 2007-08(1) 105 16 89 
			 (1) As at 29 February. 
		
	
	DFID endeavours to reply to all parliamentary questions within parliamentary deadlines where possible. Details of sessions prior to those aforementioned are not held centrally and obtaining them would involve disproportionate costs.

Developing Countries: Health

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if his Department will take steps to encourage governments of developing countries to increase the transparency and public accountability of their policies on child health and nutrition.

Gillian Merron: The 2006 International Development White Paper "Making Governance Work for the Poor" sets out how the Department for International Development is encouraging developing country governments to increase transparency and accountability of all their policies and programmes, including those for child health and nutrition. For example, we help partner countries to improve the capacity of state institutions and strengthen accountability to the poor, through, for instance, stronger parliamentary and regulatory oversight.
	"Making Governance Work for the Poor" is available online at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/wp2006/default.asp

Kosovo: Education

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the percentage of  (a) children and  (b) girls enrolled in (i) primary and (ii) secondary education in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The information requested is as follows.
	
		
			  Figures for 2003 (Source—UNDP Human Development Report 2006) 
			  Percentage 
			   Primary  Secondary 
			 Overall enrolment 95 75 
			 Ratio of girls to boys (1)92 79 
			 (1) i.e. for every 100 boys there are around 92 girls. 
		
	
	The Government of Kosovo, in collaboration with the World Bank, is in the process of developing a new Education Strategy Plan which will be used to co-ordinate all Government and donor funding.

Sudan: Politics and Government

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's most recent assessment is of the humanitarian situation in Darfur.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 29 February 2008
	The impact of the recent increase in violence in West Darfur is of grave concern, with over 57,000 newly displaced people and 160,000 cut off from humanitarian aid. Across Darfur as a whole 75,000 people have been displaced since the start of 2008. Malnutrition rates are climbing over the emergency threshold for the first time since 2004. The poor harvest in late 2007 and continuing displacement and insecurity threaten to exacerbate this problem.
	On 27 February, my right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for International Development issued a joint statement calling again on all parties to stop the violence; to allow immediate humanitarian access; to ensure respect for international humanitarian law including the protection of civilians; and to facilitate deployment of the AU-UN peacekeeping force (UNAMID). The UK continues to work closely with the UN and others to achieve these aims and to improve the humanitarian situation in Darfur.

Vietnam: Chemical Weapons

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 753-4W, on Vietnam, what international guidelines apply to concentrations of dioxin; and what the concentrations of dioxins are in those hotspots of serious contamination in Vietnam.

Shahid Malik: The calculation of acceptable dioxin levels in soil/sediment or in humans is complex. For soil or sediment, the Atlanta Centre for Disease Control in the US uses 1,000 parts per trillion Toxic Equivalence Quote (ppt TEQ) as being the maximum allowable level of dioxin contamination permitted before some form of corrective action must be taken to mitigate TEQ exposure. For the human body, the UK Food Standards Agency has set the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of dioxin at 2 picogram (pc)/kilogramme (kg) of body weight. This is based on World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.
	The concept of a dioxin "hotspot" was developed by Hatfield Consultants Ltd (Canada) while working with the Ministry of Health in Vietnam. It found that the current level of dioxin contamination in and around the former US air bases where dioxin was stored, mixed and loaded onto planes—the hot spots—was much higher than current levels in the areas sprayed during the war. The three major hotspots are in Southern Vietnam at the former US air bases at Da Nang, Bien Hoa, and Phu Cat. Studies conducted between 2000 and 2004 by the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence found an average dioxin level of about 35,000 ppt TEQ at Da Nang and Bien Hoa airports. This is 35 times higher than acceptable levels recommended by the Atlanta Centre for Disease Control.

Vietnam: Chemical Weapons

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 753-4W, on Vietnam: chemical weapons, how many Vietnamese have been identified as victims of Agent Orange  (a) inside and  (b) outside areas which were sprayed; and what estimate has been made of the numbers of as yet unborn people who will be affected.

Shahid Malik: There is no agreed accurate information available on how many Vietnamese were victims of Agent Orange and other herbicides, during and since the war, or on how many will be affected in the future.
	The Government of Vietnam state that up to 5 million people may have been affected by Agent Orange. The US suggests that the number is probably much lower and is funding research to provide clearer evidence of the link between dioxins and health and of the number of people affected.

TRANSPORT

Transport Infrastructure: North-East

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the north-east's transport infrastructure; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Investment in transport in the north-east is at record levels. The north-east also benefits from improvements to key corridors and services outside the region. Expenditure across English regions is not directly comparable; a wide range of factors are taken into account in determining how funding should be distributed.

Maritime Transport

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to encourage people to take up careers in maritime transport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department continues to support the excellent work of the Merchant Navy Training Board and Sea Vision in promoting maritime careers around the country.
	In addition, the Government provide support for seafarer training through the Tonnage Tax core training commitment and the Support for Maritime Training scheme.

Foreign Lorries

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will bring forward proposals for a scheme to charge foreign registered lorries for their use of the UK's road network.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We have studied options for compiling a database of foreign haulage operations and vehicles to assist in the targeting of enforcement, including a "vignette" scheme whereby lorries would pay a charge for use of UK roads for a given time. The Department published a progress report alongside the 2007 pre-Budget report. The study has raised a number of legal and other issues and we are considering the way forward.

Congestion: London

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will bring forward legislative proposals to provide her with powers to reduce traffic congestion in London.

Rosie Winterton: The responsibility for setting and delivering a transport strategy for London was delegated to the Mayor of London under the Greater London Authority Act 1999. That Act also gave the Mayor the powers required to introduce road charging schemes to reduce traffic congestion in London. The Department continues to work closely with the Mayor, and Transport for London, to monitor the impact of his transport strategy.

Rail Ticketing

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with train operating companies on ticketing.

Tom Harris: The Secretary of State met the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) on 10 December to discuss a range of fares and ticketing issues, principally fares simplification as outlined in the White Paper.
	Fares simplification will apply common terms and conditions to four generic, nationally available and easily understood fares categories.

CO2 Emissions: Airlines

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to encourage airlines to take responsibility to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We have a comprehensive strategy: supporting the development and application of new aircraft technology, making gains in air traffic control systems, encouraging more efficient practices, and promoting market-based measures such as emissions trading. Airlines have a strong incentive to minimise fuel use, which would be strengthened by proposals in the Government's consultation on Aviation Duty.

A46

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make a statement on the funding of highway improvements on the A46 between Newark and Widmerpool.

Tom Harris: The A46 Newark to Widmerpool improvement schemes is one of the schemes that are planned to be funded from the East Midlands' Regional Funding Allocation for major transport schemes. I understand that the region plans to review its recommended programme of schemes in the light of emerging cost pressures. We will carefully consider the region's advice both for the programme as a whole and in relation to the A46 scheme.

Longton Railway Bridge

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with Network Rail on repainting Longton railway bridge.

Tom Harris: None. This is an operational matter for Network Rail. Network Rail informs me that it is currently discussing with Stoke-on-Trent city council whether the development and implementation of an aesthetic painting scheme for Longton viaduct can be included in its structures maintenance programme for 2008-09. A decision will be made later this year.

Rural Transport

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding was provided for rural transport in 2007 and 2006.

Rosie Winterton: Our main support for rural transport has been through the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant and Rural Bus Challenge schemes. Funding provided under those schemes was £61.3 million in 2007 and £61.4 million in 2006. Local authorities also support rural transport through Revenue Support Grant and other resources.

Public Transport: Coastal Towns

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to increase use of public transport in coastal towns.

Rosie Winterton: The Government are committed to increasing public transport usage in all areas of the country.
	It is for local transport authorities, working with their partners, including regional bodies, to determine the transport priorities for its area.

Low-Carbon Energy

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research her Department is funding on low-carbon sources of energy for transport uses.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department, and indeed the Government as a whole, are funding a wide range of research relevant to the development of lower carbon sources of energy for transport.
	Let one give just three examples of that. The Government have committed up to £30 million for UK research and development work on the Low Carbon Vehicles Innovation Platform. Government are also supporting the development of the Energy Technologies Institute, and they fund a wide range of greener aviation R and D through the National Aerospace Technology Strategy (NATS).
	In particular, I refer my hon. Friend to the Department's "Low Carbon Transport Innovation Strategy", which was published last year at the time of the Energy White Paper, and provides a comprehensive guide to the Government's policies and activities in this area.

Rail Capacity

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the capacity of the rail network.

Tom Harris: In the preparation of the Rail White Paper, the Government carried out assessments of the adequacy of the capacity of the rail network. This drew on work carried out by the rail industry. The outcome of this work is published in the 2007 Rail White Paper "Delivering a Sustainable Railway".

Rail Accessibility: Ipswich

Chris Mole: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are being taken to improve access for disabled people at Ipswich railway station, under the Access for All programme.

Tom Harris: Ipswich station has been prioritised for Access for All-funded improvements between 2009 and 2011. Step-free access to its platforms will be provided through the installation of a new footbridge and two new lifts. Local stakeholders are currently being consulted on the plans, which are now reaching the detailed design stage.

A1

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she received the Inspectors' Report on the A1 upgrade to motorway status between Dishforth and Barton; and when she expects to take a decision on the report.

Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 2040-41W. The Inspector's report was received on 9 February 2007.

A12: Injuries

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many persons were  (a) killed and  (b) seriously injured on the A12 in Essex in each of the last five years.

Tom Harris: The following table shows the number of people killed and seriously injured on the A12 in Essex over the past five years. The Highways Agency does not currently hold any full accident figures for 2008.
	
		
			  Accidents A12 Essex 
			   Fatal  Seriously injured 
			 2003 4 39 
			 2004 4 65 
			 2005 6 58 
			 2006 5 41 
			 2007 4 24 
			 Total 23 227

Aviation

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions her Department has had or plans to have on the past and potential future impact of  (a) changes in noise levels permitted from individual aircraft and  (b) changes in the size of aircraft upon (i) past increases and future total passenger and freight numbers and (ii) past and future (A) economic, (B) environmental and (C) social impacts; and what representations have been received on these matters.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The White Paper "The Future of Air Transport" White Paper set out our key aim to limit and where possible reduce the number of people in the UK significantly affected by aircraft noise.
	In the White Paper, we highlighted the importance of promoting research and development work on quieter aircraft and airframe technology. We are pursuing this aim through both international and national forums.
	Although technological change is a long-term issue, the aviation industry has made encouraging progress in addressing the noise of the airline fleet. For example, the newest generation of wide-bodied aircraft is expected to make significantly less noise on arrival than the largest aircraft currently operating. We have also seen the introduction of new engines which include innovations to reduce noise and improve fuel efficiency.
	Possible future technological change and related impacts are taken into account in our forecasting. For example, the current consultation on the future expansion of Heathrow (Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport) has been prepared against this background. Paragraph 3.82 of the consultation document notes that although there were 73 per cent. more aircraft movements in 2005 compared with 1975, the number of people significantly affected by noise has fallen by 87 per cent. and the area affected reduced by 86 per cent. In addition, the night flights regime introduced in October 2006 at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted recognises technological change by providing incentives for introducing quieter aircraft. The regime was only introduced after an extensive two-stage public consultation exercise.
	All major UK airports (i.e. 50,000 annual movements or above) have been required to map aircraft noise in compliance with the European environmental noise directive. Later this year, the airports will have to prepare strategic noise action plans setting out noise mitigation measures. These plans will have to be prepared in consultation with the local community and as such provide an opportunity for relevant local issues to be considered. In addition, we regularly receive representations on aircraft noise issues which help inform the Department's policy making.

Aviation: Buckinghamshire

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many aircraft routes cross High Wycombe and Marlow at 7,000 feet or less; what the height of each route is; how many planes per hour on average flew along each of those routes during  (a) night time,  (b) daytime and  (c) at peak times in the last 12 months; how many planes per hour on average are expected to fly along each of those routes during (i) night time, (ii) daytime and (iii) at peak times in 2014; and whether she has made an estimate of the likely impact of air traffic noise on levels in High Wycombe and Marlow in 2014.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This is an operational matter for National Air Traffic Services, the air navigation services provider, and I suggest the hon. Member direct his inquiry to the chief executive of NATS.
	On the airspace change process, I refer the hon. Member to my earlier answer to his question today (UIN 191596).

Aviation: Compensation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what legislation governs the payment of compensation by airlines for injury or damage occurring accidentally while in flight; what representations she has received on this issue; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Passengers must always take their own legal advice in relation to claims. Article 17 of the 1999 Montreal Convention provides that the carrier is liable for damage sustained in the event of death or bodily injury of a passenger upon condition only that the accident which caused the death or injury took place on board the aircraft or in the course of embarking or disembarking. The amount of compensation is governed by article 21. The Montreal Convention is given effect in the United Kingdom by the Carriage by Air Acts (Implementation of the Montreal Convention 1999) Order 2002, which came into force on 28 June 2004. The Department is not aware of any recent representations on this issue.

Aviation: Noise

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the likely impact proposals by the National Air Traffic Service to redraw the aircraft route map across Southern and Eastern England will have on aircraft noise in High Wycombe and Marlow in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2014.

Jim Fitzpatrick: It is not for the Secretary of State to assess the impact of NATS' airspace change proposals on noise in High Wycombe and Marlow.
	The process for making changes to airspace is governed by the independent Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)'s airspace change process as set out in the Airspace Charter (CAP724) and Guidance on the Airspace Change Process (CAP725).
	NATS, the sponsor of the proposed change, is responsible for developing and consulting upon proposals. Detailed guidance is given on what impacts are to be taken into account, how they should be measured and who should be consulted. Informed by the consultation, the sponsor will submit the proposal to the CAA's Directorate of Airspace Policy for assessment. In determining whether to accept or reject a proposal, the CAA's process will reflect the Secretary of State's Directions and Guidance to the CAA on the exercise of its statutory duties and environmental objectives.

Biofuels

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much biofuel was produced in the UK in the last 12 months; and what estimate she has made of the effect on the UK's carbon dioxide emissions of use of biofuels in substitution for fossil fuels in that period.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A total of around 500 million litres of road transport biofuel was sold in the UK during 2007. Further details are available via the HM Revenue and Customs website at
	http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bulloil
	These figures do not, however, distinguish between imported fuels and domestically produced fuels, and the Government are unable to provide a detailed breakdown of this. Nor is it possible to provide a precise estimate of the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions associated with these biofuels. This is because information on the feedstocks from which the fuels were produced, and on their country of origin, is not currently collected.
	This is one of the reasons why the Government are introducing the renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) in April. Under the RTFO, transport fuel suppliers who wish to earn renewable transport fuel certificates in respect of their biofuels will have to report to the Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA) on matters such as the country of origin, the wider sustainability and the carbon intensity of those fuels. The Renewable Fuels Agency will be required to report regularly on these matters, and this will allow the Government to monitor very closely the carbon dioxide savings associated with the policy, as well as its wider environmental impacts.
	Further detail on the reporting requirements is available via the RFA's website at
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/rfa

Carriage by Air Acts (Implementation of the Montreal Convention 1999) Order 2002

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make a statement on the operation of the Carriage by Air Acts (Implementation of the Montreal Convention 1999) Order 2002; what amendments have been made to this Order; and what recent representations she has received on this Order.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The 1999 Montreal Convention is an international convention prepared by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). It seeks to modernise and consolidate the 1929 Warsaw Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules relating to International Carriage by Air and related conventions.
	The Carriage by Air Acts (Implementation of the Montreal Convention 1999) Order 2002 gave effect to the Montreal Convention in the UK from 28 June 2004 (see Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of International Carriage by Air—Cm 6369) by amending the Carriage by Air Act 1961. No amendments have subsequently been made to either the Order or the Convention. The Department is not aware of any recent representations on this issue.

Deep Vein Thrombosis: Compensation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will seek amendments to the Warsaw Convention to permit claims for compensation by air travellers who suffer deep vein thrombosis; what recent representations she has received on this issue; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We currently do not have plans to seek amendments to the Warsaw Convention on this issue.
	Research by the World Health Organisation published in 2007 showed that the risk of deep vein thrombosis, which applies to all forms of travel, appears to be predominantly the result of prolonged immobility. Certain categories of people appear to be at higher risk, such as older people, those with hereditary blood conditions, women using oral contraception, people undertaking journeys of more than 12 hours and very tall people.
	The Department is not aware of any recent representations on this issue.

Departmental Equal Pay

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will conduct an equal pay audit across her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: It is not the Department's intention to conduct an equal pay audit across the Department as a whole. It remains our opinion that pay audits should be individually undertaken by the DfT (Centre) and each Agency.

Departmental Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when  (a) the pay increases for the 2007 pay round were paid,  (b) the race impact assessments of the 2007 pay deal were completed and  (c) the race impact assessments were made available to the recognised trade unions in relation to each of her Department's bargaining units.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 25 February 2008
	The following table gives details of when the 2007 pay increases for each of the bargaining units within the Department were made and indicates the current position with regard to the race impact assessments applicable to these.
	
		
			   2007 Pay increase paid  2007 Race impact assessment completed  Race impact assessments made available to the TUS 
			 Department for Transport (Centre) The increase was paid in November 2007 backdated to 1 August 2007 A draft impact assessment was produced in November 2007. This will form part of an overall Equality Impact Assessment to be completed by March 2008 The assessment will be shared with the TUS on completion. 
			 HA The increase was paid in January 2008 and was backdated to 1 August 2007 An assessment has just commenced An assessment has just commenced 
			 DVLA The increase was paid in November 2007 backdated to 1 August 2007 An assessment has not yet been completed An assessment has not yet been completed 
			 VOSA The increase was paid in January 2008 and was backdated to 1 August 2007 An assessment has not yet been completed. This will be incorporated into an Equal Pay Audit in April 2008 An assessment has not yet been completed. This will be incorporated into an Equal Pay Audit in April 2008 
			 VGA The increase was paid in August 2007 Equality impact are an ongoing part of the pay round process Assessments are shared with the TUS as part of the pay round process 
			 MCA The increase was paid in February 2008 and was backdated to 1 August 2007 An assessment has not yet been completed An assessment has not yet been completed 
			 GCDA The increase was paid in April 2007. An impact assessment was completed in May 2007. The assessment was shared with the TUS in July 2007. 
			 DSA The increase was paid in December 2007 An impact assessment is being prepared. An impact assessment is being prepared.

East Midlands Trains: Finance

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what premium East Midlands Trains is forecast to pay to the Government over the period of its franchise.

Tom Harris: Full details of the East Midlands Franchise were announced by the Department in a written ministerial statement to the House and a Stock Market Statement on 22 June 2007. This states that Stagecoach Midland Rail Limited will pay a premium of £133 million (net present value) over the life of the franchise.

Forced Marriage

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will take steps to ensure that information on  (a) helplines and  (b) access to support for victims of forced marriage or persons in fear of forced marriage is made available at airports, ports and other public places within the responsibility of her Department.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	The display of information on helplines at airports and ports is a matter for the individual companies and organisations. However, the work of the Forced Marriage Unit in promoting the issues of forced marriage to staff at points of entry and exit into the country has ensured that a number of airports and ports display literature on forced marriage which gives details on how to access support.

Freight: Industrial Health and Safety

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what regulations govern the safe loading of scrap metal on to heavy goods vehicles for transit; what steps are taken to enforce these regulations; and if she will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: I have been asked to reply.
	There are no regulations that deal specifically with loading goods, including scrap metal, on to road vehicles. However, this activity is covered by the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and where the loading of scrap metal is done using lifting equipment, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 will also apply. All these are enforced by health and safety inspectors. Regulation 100 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 covers the safety of loads being transported on vehicles, and this is enforced by the police.

Great Western Trains

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations she has received from rail users on the performance of First Great Western; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: In recent months Ministers and officials at the Department for Transport have received many representations from rail users regarding First Great Western's performance.
	I refer the hon. Gentleman to the written statement made by my right hon. Friend on 26 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 73-4WS.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport: Transport

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent improvements have been made to transport links to and from Liverpool John Lennon airport; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government's "Future of Air Transport" White Paper of 2003 supported the development of Liverpool John Lennon airport as a key driver to generating growth and investment in Merseyside and the north-west region, provided proposed developments took into account the local and wider environmental impacts of air travel. The airport already enjoys good surface transport links including an express bus service from the city centre, and the Liverpool South Parkway rail-bus interchange opened in 2006. The airport's draft master plan, published in 2006, explored a range of possible further options for transport links, and the airport's operator continues to work with local statutory agencies and other partners to evaluate them.

Oil: Prices

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her Department's assumptions are of the future price of oil in  (a) 2010,  (b) 2015,  (c) 2020,  (d) 2025,  (e) 2030,  (f) 2040 and  (g) 2050.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 4 February 2008
	The Department uses oil price projections produced by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR) in its modelling. The latest estimates were published last year in the Energy White Paper. These have been used for the latest road traffic, aviation and rail forecasts and are currently being integrated in the advice and software the Department provides for transport promoters preparing business cases for schemes. These long-term price projections are to 2020. For the latest transport modelling projections extend further, usually assuming no changes beyond 2020.
	The current oil price projection (in 2006 prices) can be seen in the following table. DBERR produces a low, central and high price projection. These are real prices; nominal prices—which include the impacts of forecast inflation—would be higher. For example, the real price of $53 in 2025 is approximately $88 in nominal prices.
	
		
			  2006 prices 
			   Low  Central  High 
			 2010 25 57 70 
			 2015 25 50 75 
			 2020 25 53 80

Railways

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to obtain a modal shift from road and air to rail travel; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Government's aim is to offer the public an informed choice of which mode of transport to use, rather than prescribing one mode over others. Our priority is to ensure that rail provides a viable alternative to road and air travel where possible. To this end, the White Paper, "Delivering a Sustainable Railway", published in July 2007, commits £15 billion in public support for the railway between 2009 and 2014, with £10 billion to be spent specifically on enhancing capacity during that period.

Railways: Cotswold Hills

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to receive from Network Rail the business case for redoubling the single line sections of the Cotswold line between Oxford and Worcester; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: This is an operational matter for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to his question.
	Iain Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton street
	London NW1 2EE

Railways: Deaths

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatalities at footpath rail crossings caused by  (a) accidents,  (b) trespassers,  (c) suicides and  (d) other circumstances there were in each of the last three years.

Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation has provided the following data for fatalities at footpath rail crossings in each of the last three years:
	
		
			   (a) Accident  (b)  Trespass  (c) Confirmed suicide  Total 
			 2005 1 0 3 4 
			 2006 4 2 1 7 
			 2007 2 3 0 5 
		
	
	The data cover people who were fatally injured while on the crossing. Fatalities involving people who used footpath crossings to gain access to and trespass on the railway line are not included. The figures for 2007 are still provisional and are dependent on the outcome of coroners' inquests.

Railways: Franchises

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with the franchise operator c2c on  (a) the timing of franchise renewal and  (b) the criteria for bidding for the franchise.

Tom Harris: The c2c franchise is due to expire in May 2011. The franchise agreement includes the provision to extend the franchise for a period of two years to May 2013, by agreement between the Department and c2c.
	The criteria for bidding for a replacement franchise will be set out in the documentation seeking bids for the new franchise.

Railways: Hampshire

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she received from South West Trains notification of network modifications relating to travel offices in Hampshire; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: South West Trains forwarded minor modification proposals covering a number of travel centres at their stations to the Department for Transport on 20 November 2007 and 24 December 2007. Three stations in Hampshire are currently under consideration: Southampton, Winchester and Basingstoke.

Railways: Internet

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to encourage train operators to make on-board internet available on long-distance services; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: While we encourage all operators to improve the provision of on-board services, the availability of on-board internet access is a commercial matter for train operators.

Roads: Accidents

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) drivers,  (b) passengers and  (c) pedestrians aged (i) 16 or under, (ii) 17 to 20, (iii) 21 to 25, (iv) 26 to 30, (v) 31 to 35, (vi) 36 to 40, (vii) 41 to 45, (viii) 46 to 50, (ix) 51 to 60, (x) 61 to 70 and (xi) 71 years or over were (A) killed and (B) injured in a road accident in each of the last five years; and how many drivers in each age group were convicted of an offence of driving while intoxicated owing to (1) alcohol and (2) drugs or other substances in each such year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of  (a) drivers,  (b) passengers and  (c) pedestrians aged (i) 16 and under, (ii) 17 to 20, (iii) 21 to 25, (iv) 26 to 30, (v) 31 to 35, (vi) 36 to 40, (vii) 41 to 45, (viii) 46 to 50, (ix) 51 to 60, (x) 61 to 70 or (xi) 71 years or over that have been (A) killed or (B) injured in a reported road accident in 2002 to 2006 are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of casualties 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  Casualty class/Casualty age  Killed  Injured( 1)  Killed  Injured( 1)  Killed  Injured( 1)  Killed  Injured( 1)  Killed  Injured( 1) 
			  Driver or Rider   
			 16 or under 42 7,679 39 7,855 46 7,880 44 7,396 59 6,650 
			 17-20 244 20,889 268 20,459 235 20,891 259 21,610 259 21,207 
			 21-25 251 23,796 258 23,228 269 22,863 250 22,344 288 21,253 
			 26-30 249 23,110 234 21,054 190 19,670 209 18,631 179 18,255 
			 31-35 221 23,763 237 21,955 223 20,465 192 19,153 187 17,376 
			 36-40 210 21,155 227 20,550 229 19,611 201 18,531 184 17,801 
			 41-45 160 15,768 170 15,826 161 15,602 156 15,795 150 15,183 
			 46-50 110 11,817 131 11,717 96 11,492 113 11,558 135 11,555 
			 51-60 191 17,118 210 16,828 175 16,602 206 16,339 180 15,724 
			 61-70 110 7,305 118 7,393 99 7,216 98 7,097 117 7,171 
			 71 or over 172 5,565 167 5,523 180 5,406 187 5,303 150 5,175 
			 Total(2) 1,975 180,557 2,067 174,898 1,913 170,159 1,918 166,291 1,892 159,631 
			
			  Passenger   
			 16 or under 111 17,733 99 16,649 81 16,068 84 14,418 94 13,522 
			 17-20 144 12,697 160 12,209 187 11,939 148 11,770 141 11,862 
			 21-25 103 9,482 109 8,673 86 8,718 101 8,212 87 7,812 
			 26-30 47 6,348 45 5,876 51 5,261 46 5,127 40 4,885 
			 31-35 34 5,047 36 4,817 29 4,357 25 3,939 25 3,538 
			 36-40 28 4,437 16 4,210 27 3,864 18 3,649 21 3,405 
			 41-45 20 3,495 24 3,345 15 3,188 19 2,989 18 2,835 
			 46-50 14 3,107 17 2,980 15 2,893 17 2,725 12 2,604 
			 51-60 37 5,423 27 5,219 33 4,818 27 4,669 33 4,499 
			 61-70 34 4,240 46 4,111 20 3,924 34 3,671 30 3,471 
			 71 or over 101 4,829 84 4,606 90 4,463 91 4,121 101 3,838 
			 Total(2) 681 80,608 667 76,570 637 73,250 612 68,915 605 65,294 
			
			  Pedestrian   
			 16 or under 88 15,052 86 13,420 92 13,080 73 12,053 85 10,904 
			 17-20 44 3,114 62 3,000 34 2,991 58 2,828 36 2,748 
			 21-25 60 2,839 51 2,790 45 2,676 40 2,622 49 2,462 
			 26-30 36 2,314 40 2,161 34 2,022 34 1,852 29 1,843 
			 31-35 33 1,935 33 1,981 34 1,840 35 1,761 39 1,612 
			 36-40 48 1,895 40 1,745 40 1,720 27 1,654 47 1,504 
			 41-45 40 1,490 36 1,412 35 1,376 38 1,422 32 1,325 
			 46-50 41 1,287 41 1,240 32 1,141 31 1,193 37 1,158 
			 51-60 79 2,123 82 2,049 63 2,007 71 1,972 54 1,887 
			 61-70 63 1,706 61 1,688 61 1,493 64 1,464 53 1,426 
			 71 or over 235 2,967 237 2,820 196 2,626 196 2,487 212 2,363 
			 Total(2) 775 38,009 774 35,631 671 34,210 671 32,610 675 30,307 
			 (1 )Seriously or slightly injured (2 )Includes cases where age is not reported 
		
	
	Information on convictions for driving while intoxicated owing to alcohol or drugs for the drivers in the aforementioned table is not available. Information on convictions is provided by the Ministry of Justice. The data are not linked to personal injury road accident data.
	The latest available information held on convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs by age groups from 2001-05 is provided in the table. 2006 data will be available later this year. The data provided cover both drink and drugs offences combined, as volumes of convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs separately cannot be accurately established.
	
		
			  Findings of guilt at all courts for driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs( 1)  by age group, England and Wales, 2001-05 
			  Number of offences 
			  Age groups  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 16 or under 612 616 679 624 577 
			 17(2 )to 20 10,294 10,611 11,109 11,011 10,779 
			 21 to 25(3) 16,123 17,395 18,414 18,942 18,681 
			 26 to 30 13,881 14,547 14,508 14,785 14,348 
			 31 to 35 12,137 13,014 13,447 13,541 12,601 
			 36 to 40 10,442 11,131 11,623 11,786 11,232 
			 41 to 45 7,608 8,262 8,711 9,526 9,285 
			 46 to 50 5,462 5,894 5,957 6,290 6,338 
			 51 to 60 6,182 6,791 7,014 7,289 7,303 
			 61 to 70 1,616 1,862 1,834 2,037 2,138 
			 71 and over 385 362 405 407 436 
			 Total 84,742 90,485 93,701 96,238 93,718 
			 (1) Data covers summary offences of driving etc after consuming alcohol or taking drugs (which cannot reliably be distinguished separately). (2) Age 17 used as default age when date of birth is not known for a juvenile. (3) Age 25 used as default age when date of birth is not known for an adult.  Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings, in particular summary motoring offences, is less than complete. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Ministry of Justice

Transport: Carbon Emissions

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the carbon dioxide emissions per passenger mile from travel by  (a) road,  (b) air and  (c) rail.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA's Company Reporting Guidelines published in 2007, available at
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/envrp/pdf/conversion-factors.pdf
	enable existing data sources, such as car mileage and fuel consumption, to be converted into illustrative carbon dioxide equivalent data. Using the guidelines to determine average carbon dioxide emissions per passenger km and converting to passenger mile produces the following results:
	
		
			   Carbon dioxide emissions per passenger mile: (kg) 
			  From:   
			 Road Average petrol car 0.21 
			  Average diesel car 0.20 
			 Air Long haul flights 0.19 
			  Short haul flights 0.23 
			  Domestic flights 0.28 
			 Rail National rail 0.10 
		
	
	For road, the factors used in the guidelines are estimated average values for the UK car fleet, travelling on average trips in the UK, per vehicle mile. This has been divided by an average car occupancy rate of 1.6 passengers to derive the average emissions per passenger mile figure given in the table.
	The rail estimate is for national rail and refers to an average emission factor for diesel and electric trains.
	For aviation, the emission factor is an aggregate representation of the typical emissions from illustrative types of aircraft for the three types of air services. Actual emissions will vary significantly according to the type of aircraft in use, the load, cabin class, etc. An uplift of 9 per cent. has been applied to account for non-direct routes, circling and congestion. This is in line with the evidence from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (1999).
	DEFRA are currently updating the conversion factors and revised figures are due to be published soon.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Pigs

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the state of pig farming in the United Kingdom.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information on UK pig production is collected regularly in various forms by DEFRA. For example, the United Kingdom Pig Notice which is published quarterly, includes statistics on breeding herds, slaughter and trade.
	Projections of the aggregate measure of Total Income from Farming are published on the DEFRA website. The first full set of farm income statistics, including a breakdown by farm type, were published on 31 January.
	DEFRA is also well aware of the current issues facing the pig industry in the UK, including the impact of rising feed costs. Officials are in frequent contact with representatives of the pig sector.

Agriculture: Romania

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) assistance and  (b) joint projects with Romania his Department (i) has undertaken and (ii) plans to undertake in the fields of (A) agriculture, (B) fisheries and (C) forestry.

Jonathan R Shaw: In the area of agriculture, assistance has been given to Romania since 2004 in the form of a high-level Agriculture Working Group which meets twice-yearly. This forum allows for the discussion of areas of mutual interest and concern between Romania and the UK.
	DEFRA, in partnership with ArMA (Polish Paying Agency), recently completed a successful, two year, EU twinning project to set up the Romanian Paying Agency.
	The Department is in the process of bidding for a further project in the area of statistics, and will consider other suitable opportunities for engagement and support as and when they arise.
	I am not aware of any work being done by the Department with Romania in the areas of fisheries or forestry.

Agriculture: Subsidies

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers have received  (a) full,  (b) partial and  (c) no payment of the single farm payment as a percentage of the total number of claimants for each year of the scheme, broken down by region.

Jonathan R Shaw: For the 2007 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) year as at 18 February 2008 90,125 customers from an estimated total claimant population of 106,700 have received a full SPS payment. RPA has made 22 manual payments to customers facing extreme difficulties based on a proportion of their estimated claim value. Seven of these customers have since had their claim validated and have received the remaining proportion of their payment.
	Once the remaining scheme payments have been completed a decision will be taken on the level of detail that will be published

Agriculture: Subsidies

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which farms in  (a) Essex and  (b) Suffolk are eligible for the single farm payment; and how much was paid in respect of those farms in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: Detailed analysis of payments under the Single Payment Scheme to farms in Essex and Suffolk is not available. Once the remaining scheme payments have been completed a decision will be taken on the level of detail published.

Air Pollution: East of England

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what air quality management areas there are in the east of England, broken down by  (a) location,  (b) year of designation and  (c) local authority.

Jonathan R Shaw: To date, 229 local authorities have designated air quality management areas in the UK. 24 of these authorities are in the east of England—as set out in the table.
	Further information is available on the UK National Air Quality Archive
	www.airquality.co.uk/archive/index.php
	
		
			   Authority  Date of effect 
			 1 Bedford Borough Council 17 May 2005 and 13 June 2005 
			 2 Breckland District Council 9 May 2005 
			 3 Brentwood BC 10 January 2005 
			 4 Broxbourne BC 1 November 2001 and 1 March 2004 
			 5 Cambridge City Council 1 September 2004 
			 6 Colchester BC 1 May 2001 and 1 January 2006 
			 7 Chelmsford BC 1 December 2005 
			 8 Epping Forest DC 1 January 2007 
			 9 Fenland District Council 1 May 2001, 1 April 2006 and 1 September 2006 
			 10 Hertsmere BC 8 April 2003 & 1 January 2005 
			 11 Huntingdonshire DC 1 December 2005 & 1 September 2006 
			 12 Ipswich Borough Council 11 April 2006 
			 13 Kings Lynn and West Norfolk 1 November 2003 
			 14 Luton Borough Council 3 November 2003 and 31 March 2005 
			 15 Mid Bedfordshire DC 7 March 2005 
			 16 Norwich City Council 1 June 2003 
			 17 Peterborough CC 1 May 2007 
			 18 South Bedfordshire DC 17 January 2005 
			 19 St. Albans City and District 2 September 2002 and 2 November 2004 
			 20 Suffolk Coastal DC 3 April 2006 
			 21 Three Rivers District Council 1 April 2001 
			 22 Thurrock Council 1 April 2001 and 1 February 2005 
			 23 Uttlesford District Council 1 August 2007 
			 24 Watford BC 17 February 2006

Air Pollution: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) resources and  (b) advice are issued to councils to help improve air quality management areas; and what change there has been in the air quality in  (a) St. Albans and  (b) Hertfordshire over the last 10 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: Local authorities have statutory duties for local air quality management under the Environment Act 1995. To help local authorities carry out their duties, the Department runs an air quality grant programme, which allows local authorities to bid for a share of the approximately £2.3 million available. The Department also provides statutory guidance on local air quality management, which is in the process of being revised for publication later in 2008. In addition, DEFRA funds the UK Air Quality Archive website and air quality help desks, providing specialist advice to local authorities.
	St. Albans and Hertfordshire are not on the Automatic Urban and Rural Network through which DEFRA monitors air quality. However, St. Albans district council undertakes continuous ambient air quality monitoring as part of the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Air Pollution Monitoring Network (www.hertsbedsair.org.uk).
	Local authorities are responsible for local air quality management under part IV of the Environment Act 1995, which includes the responsibility to report on levels of air pollution in their area assessed against the objectives contained in the Air Quality (England) Regulations 2000 (as amended).

Animal Welfare

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which of his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies are concerned with animal health and welfare; whether an animal welfare specialist is on the board of each; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Non-departmental public body  Animal welfare specialist? 
			 Farm Animal Welfare Council Yes 
			 Animal Health and Welfare Strategy England Implementation Group (EIG) Yes 
			 Independent Scientific Group on TB in Cattle No animal welfare specialist but members have related experience in differing fields including wildlife diseases/badger ecology 
			 Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) No animal welfare specialist but deputy chair is a practicing vet and a member is Head of the Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases at the Royal Veterinary College 
			 Veterinary Products Committee No animal welfare specialist but members are experienced in various fields including veterinary surgeons and toxicologists 
			 Veterinary Residues Committee The Committee's terms of reference do not cover animal welfare

Animal Welfare: Horses

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions have been initiated under section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006  (a) in total and  (b) in relation to alleged offences of excessive whipping of a racehorse; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Animal Welfare Act 2006 came into force in England on 6 April 2007 (and in Wales on 27 March 2007).
	Court proceedings data for prosecutions under the Act for 2007 will be available this autumn. No separate record is maintained for alleged offences relating to racehorses.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Compensation

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent by his Department on compensation to farmers whose cattle were slaughtered as inconclusive reactors to tuberculosis in each of the last three years.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 29 February 2008
	 The following table shows the total amount of compensation paid to farmers in England, in each of the last three years, for cattle compulsorily slaughtered for bovine tuberculosis control reasons.
	
		
			  Compensation paid to farmers for all cattle slaughtered under bovine tuberculosis control measures( 1) 
			   £ million 
			 2005 27.2 
			 2006 16.1 
			 2007 15 
			 (1) The compensation payments are for England only. 
		
	
	The Government require the compulsory slaughter of inconclusive reactor cattle that fail to resolve after three tests. Repeat inconclusive reactors must be deemed to be reactors under EU legislation.
	The way that these cattle are recorded and slaughtered means that we are unable to provide a breakdown showing the amount of compensation paid for this sub-group of cattle.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of cattle slaughtered in (a) Devon and  (b) England which had (i) tuberculosis and (ii) lesions in lymph glands and lungs in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 29 February 2008
	 The following table shows the number of cattle slaughtered under bovine tuberculosis (TB) control measures in  (a) Devon and  (b) England in each of the last five years, with the number of cattle with demonstrable post-mortem evidence of infection (for instance, visible lesions of TB and/or isolation of the bovine TB bacterium on culture).
	
		
			   Devon  England 
			   Number of cattle slaughtered( 1)  Number of "confirmed" cases  Number of cattle slaughtered( 1)  Number of "confirmed" cases 
			 2003 3,767 1,118 17,551 5,293 
			 2004 4,758 1,699 17,323 5,385 
			 2005(2) 6,660 2,012 23,135 7,622 
			 2006(2) 4,468 1,684 16,006 6,242 
			 2007(2) 5,383 1,906 19,777 7,211 
			 (1) Includes cattle slaughtered as skin and gamma-interferon test reactors, skin test inconclusive reactors and direct contacts. (2) 2005-07 figures are provisional, subject to change as more data become available. 
		
	
	Data on the number of cattle displaying TB lesions in particular organs or parts of the carcase is not centrally collated in an electronic format.
	Following a TB breakdown, we aim to carry out post-mortem inspections of all the slaughtered cattle and to take tissue samples from the reactor (or if several animals must be removed, from a representative subset of those), to attempt isolation and molecular typing of the causative organism in the laboratory. This is done to support epidemiological investigations and management of the incident, rather than to validate the ante-mortem test results.
	Failure to detect lesions of TB by post-mortem examination, or to culture  M. bovis in the laboratory, does not imply that a test reactor was not infected with bovine TB. In the early stages of this disease, it is not always possible to observe lesions during abattoir post-mortem examination and, due to the fastidious nature of this organism, it is very difficult to isolate it from tissue samples without visible lesions.
	Meaningful "confirmation" proportions for TB test reactors cannot be provided, as substantial numbers of skin and gIFN positive animals are not subject to laboratory culture, for example, once infection has already been identified in other cattle from the same herd.

Business Resource Efficiency and Waste: Finance

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the business resource efficiency and waste (BREW) budget is for 2008-09; and what funding has been allocated to each of the organisations within BREW.

Joan Ruddock: The business resource efficiency and waste (BREW) programme was set up to return £284 million raised from landfill tax back to businesses between 2005 and 2008 through resource efficiency and waste projects.
	From 2008-09, budgets previously under the BREW programme will be amalgamated into a single, more focused approach of allocating DEFRA funding to increase resource efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
	Funding for business resource efficiency will be focused on providing the necessary evidence to encourage businesses to change behaviour, rather than funding profit-making business beyond that point. This move forms part of a purposeful strategy by DEFRA towards behaviour change for a low-carbon Britain.
	Funding allocations for 2008-09 were announced by the Secretary of State on 21 February. The following table sets out DEFRA's allocations for 2008-09 for delivery bodies working on business resource efficiency. Except where indicated, the allocations in the areas listed were previously provided through the BREW programme.
	
		
			  Resource and capital funding for 2008-09 
			  Activity (1)  £ million 
			 Action Sustainability - promoting sustainable procurement amongst businesses 0.300 
			 BREW Centre for Local Authorities (2), (3) - support for local authorities working with their local business community to become more resource efficient 0.800 
			 Carbon Trust (4) - accelerating the move to a low carbon economy by working with organisations to reduce carbon emissions and develop commercial low carbon technologies 89.063 
			 Centre for Remanufacture and Reuse (Oakdene Hollins) (2) - promoting remanufacture and reuse 0.500 
			 Construction Resources and Waste Platform (AEA Technologies and the Building Research Establishment) (2) - liaison with the construction industry and filling evidence gaps on construction resource efficiency 0.500 
			 Environment Agency - programmes on waste protocols (shared with WRAP), NetRegs and former BREW waste crime programme 2.750 
			 Envirowise - embedding resource efficiency into business decision-making 9.390 
			 Implementing Energy White Paper Commitments (Market Transformation Programme) - raising the efficiency of energy-using products 2.750 
			 National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) - industrial symbiosis - value from unused resources 5.025 
			 Business Reuse Fund (Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts -RSWT) (5) - obtaining value from unused resources 0 
			 Technology Programme (6) - supporting technology and innovation 0 
			 Waste Data Strategy - research and development of waste data, particularly on business waste 1.325 
			 Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) (4) - encouraging and enabling businesses and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials and recycle more things more often 43.223 
			  Notes: 1. Also relevant is funding to the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), which have received ringfenced BREW programme throughout the programme period, to co-ordinate business resource efficiency activities at the regional level and to conduct various regionally-specific projects. This was in addition to the DEFRA contribution to the RDA single programme ("single pot"), which gives RDAs the ability to address national priorities, on which they are tasked by Government (including activities to promote business resource efficiency), as well as regional objectives. With Government tasking and funding now fully aligned through the single pot, RDAs will no longer receive separate funding for resource efficiency activities. Total funding for RDAs from DEFRA in 2008-09 is £53 million. 2. In 2006-07, DEFRA funded nine pilot projects to conduct innovative work in the area of business resource efficiency. Seven of these activities were scaled up in 2007-08. Following a review of the activities, the three identified activities will continue to be funded by DEFRA in 2008-09, with the remaining four no longer receiving specific DEFRA funding. DEFRA is working with the latter four projects, listed , to ensure that learning is embedded in wider activity on business resource efficiency: (i) Business Link Kent: Business Link Diagnostic Tool; (ii) Community Recycling Network: Compost Doctors; (iii) Environment Practice: Mentoring for Success in Construction; and (iv) White Young Green: Sector specific environmental best practice programmes using a BS8555-phased approach. 3. The title of the BREW Centre for Local Authorities is under reconsideration, given that the BREW programme has been amalgamated into a single, more focused approach of allocating DEFRA funding to increase resource efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. 4. Activities undertaken by the waste and resource action programme (WRAP) and the Carbon Trust cover a range of areas, including but not restricted to business resource efficiency. For example, in the case of the Carbon Trust, £47.4 million is being provided from the domestic environmental transformation fund to support the development and deployment of low carbon technologies. DEFRA is in discussions with WRAP and the Carbon Trust about the appropriate spread of work between these various areas. 5. In 2006-07 and 2007-08, the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) has managed the business reuse fund, which provides grant funding for activities involving the third sector to promote materials re-use among businesses. Following discussions with DEFRA, RSWT chose not to bid for future funding for the continuation of the fund. 6. The technology programme, overseen by the Technology Strategy Board, has received funding throughout the period of the BREW programme. The funds have been used to promote research and development into environmental technologies. BREW funding is additional to funds provided by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), the sponsoring department of the board. From 2008-09, DEFRA will no longer provide funding to the programme, but will work with DIUS to seek opportunities for integrating environmental sustainability considerations into the work of the programme.

Cuckmere Estuary

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Environment Agency has spent on its plans to alter the Cuckmere Estuary; and what further expenditure is expected.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency has spent £527,000 on the Cuckmere Estuary Strategy, to date, and expects further expenditure of £20,000.

Departmental Co-ordination: Computers

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with Ministers from other Departments on the merits of virtualisation of server hardware.

Jonathan R Shaw: New DEFRA transactional systems of any magnitude are now developed and deployed by IBM on server infrastructure that is based on the principles of virtualisation. DEFRA currently has over 120 separate server images mapped across approximately 12 physical servers. We adopt this approach to reduce IT costs by using resources efficiently and to reduce our carbon footprint.
	Discussions on the merits and best practice in deployment of the virtualisation of server hardware are held at official level with other Government Departments through the Cabinet Office chaired Chief Technology Officers Council and with our supplier IBM.

Dredging: Gravel

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what price per tonne HM Treasury receives for the gravel excavated by marine dredging; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: HM Treasury currently receives 1.60 per tonne of dredged marine aggregates. This will be rising to 1.95 per tonne from 1 April 2008.

Drinking Water

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the House authorities on ceasing the use of bottled water on the Parliamentary Estate and providing tap water instead; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: This is a matter for the House.

Drinking Water

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's policy is on the use of  (a) tap water and  (b) bottled water; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: DEFRA's policy on tap and bottled water was set out in a notice to staff published on 9 February 2007:
	The Department is to stop supplying bottled mineral water for meetings in order to be more environmentally-friendly. Instead, as of 19 February 2007, covered jugs will be left in meeting rooms, for meeting organisers to fill up with tap water from the nearest kitchen point.
	This measure is a commitment by DEFRA to sustainable development. The bottling process is resource intensive and uses energy that generates greenhouse gas emissions, through both manufacture and transportation. It also generates waste plastic and glass which will, at best, have to be recycled if it is to be kept out of landfill. Even the recycling process uses energy and has an impact on the environment.
	DEFRA's caterers will also remove bottled water from the hospitality menu.

Energy Conservation: Heating

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the energy-using products directive maximises carbon savings from heating controls.

Joan Ruddock: The Government are committed to raising product efficiency and we are working with key stakeholders from the boiler and water heater industry and the European Commission to develop proposals which will maximise the standards and efficiency of products covered under the energy-using products directive.
	Heating controls play an important role in improving the efficiency of heating systems and the Government have recently published a consultation paper setting out indicative standards for better use of existing controls and advanced controls for domestic heating.

Environment Protection: EU Law

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of the operation of the comitology procedure for the delegation of powers from European legislation on the  (a) development and  (b) implementation of (i) proposed and (ii) effective directives on environmental issues; whether the Government is seeking changes to the procedure; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government supported the changes to the revised comitology procedure for the delegation of powers and which culminated in Council Decision 2006/512/EC. While it is recognised that the revised procedure is likely to extend the process for adopting individual implementing measures, the Government consider that any adverse consequences will be outweighed by the greater accountability introduced into the scrutiny process as a result of this change and are not, currently, seeking changes to the system.
	The European Commission has committed itself to examine all existing Acts in force adopted under co-decision with a view to adapting them to the new procedure and making appropriate proposals. The Council has not however made any commitment to adopt these proposals and all such proposals are being considered on a case-by-case basis.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 2123-24W, on fisheries, 
	(1)  whether he intends to re-apply to the European Commission; whether he has had further discussions with  (a) the Commission and  (b) other EU member states about pelagic pair trawling; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what his estimate is of the  (a) damage to marine life and  (b) the numbers of cetaceans killed as a result of the European Commission turning down the request made under Article 9 of Council Regulation 2371/2002; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Council Regulation (EC) 812/2004 requires member states to set up by-catch observer programmes in certain fisheries and present an annual report to the European Commission. The latest report submitted to the European Commission for 2006 by France reported that no by-catch was observed in the 26 tows monitored in the bass fishery in International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) areas VII and VIII.
	ICES has been asked by the European Commission to look at all member states' annual reports and they are currently in the process of doing so. When ICES advice becomes available we will consider whether further representation needs to be made to the Commission in respect of pelagic pair-trawling.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the Special Report No. 7/2007 of the European Court of Auditors on the control, inspection and sanction systems relating to the rules on conservation of Community fisheries resources; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The European Court of Auditors report has highlighted a number of weaknesses in the control regime applicable within the European Community. Those weakness undermine the overall effectiveness of the common fisheries policy and the achievement of its objective of sustainable fisheries. We therefore welcome its publication. We also welcome the positive stance taken by the Commission in response to the report and the measures that it has already announced to simplify and harmonise the control regime. Those measures include, in the short term, improving the vessel monitoring system, introducing electronic logbooks and sales notes, improving member states' and the Commission's databases, enhanced cross-checking of data and the application of more effective and consistent sanctions throughout the Community. In the medium term, the Commission is working towards the publication, in October 2008, of a proposal to replace the existing Control Regulation with one designed to rationalise and standardise rules, strengthen cooperation and collaboration between member states and help to develop a culture of compliance among the industry. We intend to play an active part in the discussions to ensure that these objectives are met.

Fisheries: Enforcement

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library copies of the correspondence his Department has had with the Marine and Fisheries Agency on the number of annual  (a) patrol days and  (b) hours of aerial surveillance coverage required for the purposes of fisheries enforcement and protection; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA has had no such correspondence with the Marine and Fisheries Agency. Arrangements for the provision of aerial and surface surveillance coverage are an operational matter for the Marine and Fisheries Agency to decide upon, in order to ensure the effective tasking and deployment of patrol vessels and surveillance aircraft.

Flood Control: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent on flood defences in each constituency over the last five years for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: Figures for spend on flood defences by constituency are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Environment Agency is the principal operating authority with responsibility for flood risk management in England and is responsible for the vast majority of spend. The Agency's annual report and accounts are laid before Parliament each year and contain detailed information about their spend.

Food: Procurement

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1340W, on food: procurement, what advice he has provided to other Government Departments and public bodies to encourage purchasing of food from local sources.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 29 February 2008
	The Government continue to take steps through their Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI) to encourage and help public bodies to increase opportunities for small and local food producers.
	Further guidance, tools, case studies and other information is available on the DEFRA website. An updated procurement toolkit on the website explains how public sector bodies can break their catering contracts into lots and sets out how to specify seasonal and fresh food. This approach can create opportunities for small and local producers to do business with the public sector.

Industrial Wastes: Recycling

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of business waste was recycled by each local authority in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: DEFRA does not hold data on the proportion of business waste recycled by individual local authorities.
	The most recent survey on industrial and commercial waste was carried out in 2002-03 by the Environment Agency. Information was collected from approximately 4,500 businesses and included the type, quantity and form of the waste, as well as the disposal or recovery method used. Data collection was limited to controlled waste and related to England only. The information is available, broken down by region, from the Environment Agency's website.

Marine and Fisheries Agency: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons he decided to reduce the budget for the Marine and Fisheries Agency from 2007-08 to 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The operational budget has not been reduced. The Marine and Fisheries Agency initial budget for 2008-09 is based on 2007-08 operational responsibilities. Additional resources for any other activities that the MFA may be asked to undertake in 2008-09 will be provided accordingly.

Marine and Fisheries Agency: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library copies of correspondence between his Department and the Marine and Fisheries Agency on the setting of the agency's budget for 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information about the Marine and Fisheries Agency's resources, budget, priorities and activities is set out in their business plan for 2008-09, copies of which I will arrange to be placed in the Library of the House.
	However, I do not plan to place in the Library, copies of correspondence between DEFRA and the Marine and Fisheries Agency on the setting of the Agency's budget for 2008-09. It would not be conducive to setting a responsible and balanced budget for the Department and its delivery bodies, and would be to the detriment of public service provision.

Marine and Fisheries Agency: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what grant in aid he plans to provide to the Marine and Fisheries Agency in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: As an Executive Agency, the Marine and Fisheries Agency receives an allocation from DEFRA not grant in aid.

Marine and Fisheries Agency: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he informed the Marine and Fisheries Agency of its budget for 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The MFA received formal confirmation of its initial allocation shortly before the public announcement in DEFRA's press release of 21 February 2008.

Mauve Stingers

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to protect fisheries and the UK aquaculture sector from mauve stingers; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Last year, the mauve stinger jellyfish Pelagia nocticula engulfed the cages of a private company's sites in Glenarm Bay and Red Bay, Northern Ireland. Some 260,000 salmon were destroyed.
	Jellyfish blooms are not rare, although there is little science on Pelagia nocticula, an oceanic species widely distributed in warm and temperate waters. Losses through jellyfish on this scale are not unknown in the industry and there are current reports of similar incidents in both the Republic of Ireland and Scotland.
	Aquaculturists on marine sites have to recognise that they are operating in a highly mobile environment and that it is impossible to protect their operations against every conceivable risk of invasion by unwanted species. I see no case for Government assuming this risk.

Nature Conservation: EU Action

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to propose conservation measures under Article 9 of Council Regulation 2371/2002; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have no plans to do so at present.

Noise

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to publish a combined national noise strategy for England covering ambient and neighbourhood noise.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government plan to publish for consultation, a combined National Noise Strategy for England, covering ambient and neighbourhood noise, later this year.

Rural Areas: Housing

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when a decision is expected to be announced by the Housing Corporation on the proposed Rural Housing Challenge Fund.

Jonathan R Shaw: As part of our preparations for the comprehensive spending review (CSR) during the summer of 2007, DEFRA asked the Housing Corporation to provide advice on the feasibility of a potential revenue funding programme to support activity to improve the delivery of affordable rural housing at local level. We always made it clear that this would be considered in the light of the CSR settlement.
	That advice has now been carefully considered. However, given the Government's undertaking on increases in housing supply generally—which will benefit rural as well as urban areas—we have concluded that the value of a small challenge fund would not be enough to merit a switching of resources away from other priority areas of DEFRA's business.
	The Government have already set out proposals to increase the supply of housing and will be allocating £8.4 billion across the regions over the next three years. The Housing Corporation will be tasked with spending this money most effectively. The Government's long-term housing supply and affordability public service agreement (PSA) target specifically covers rural as well as urban affordability.
	In addition, the Housing Green Paper sets out the Government's intention to establish a national target for rural affordable housing. The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) is in the process of developing this target, based on advice from the Regional Assemblies and the Housing Corporation. It is much more important to ensure that these measures work for rural areas, rather than to focus attention on small packets of funding from DEFRA.
	Together with CLG, we remain committed to addressing the affordable rural housing problem. At a national level, the policies and funding to deliver are largely in place, but we want to ensure that they feed through into delivery. That is why my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has asked the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) to carry out a review to find out how land use and planning can better support business and deliver affordable housing in rural areas. The hon. member will report to both DEFRA and CLG in the summer.

Sea Fishing

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to introduce inshore netting restrictions for the UK's recreational sea fisheries.

Jonathan R Shaw: Last year I announced a review of bass nursery areas and inshore netting restrictions, for the benefit of both inshore recreational and commercial fishing. The next step will be to engage with stakeholders to agree how and when to take forward this work collaboratively this year. I am also currently consulting on a draft recreational sea angling strategy which considers a package of measures for the development of recreational sea fishing. The consultation closes on 31 March.

Seals

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the size of the UK seal population is; and what assessment he has made of risks to that population.

Jonathan R Shaw: Seal conservation is a devolved issue. The most recent estimates of seal populations in Great Britain are between 50,000 and 60,000 for common seals and between 107,000 and 171,000 for grey seals. Of these, 85 per cent. of common seals and 90 per cent. of grey seals occur in Scotland.
	The most significant threat to the common seal population was posed by the outbreaks of Phocine Distemper Virus (PDV) in 1988 and 2002. This greatly reduced the common seal population on the east coast of England.
	Under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, the Natural Environment Research Council has a duty to provide the Government with scientific advice on matters related to the management of seal populations. Such advice is provided annually and the latest report, for 2007, can be found on the Sea Mammals Research Unit website.

Seas and Oceans: EU Action

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he and his predecessors had with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the likely impact of the  (a) proposed European Constitution and  (b) Lisbon Treaty on (i) fisheries, (ii) the marine environment and (iii) marine biological resources; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Since the new provisions are designed only to confirm existing Community powers as they relate to the common fisheries policy, I have not seen the need to undertake any substantive discussions with colleagues in other Government Departments. Experience in areas already subject to co-decision has shown that proposals can be improved. The additional scrutiny and debate in the European Parliament will offer new opportunities for the UK and other member states to secure better regulation. We have a lot of experience of dealing with the European Parliament and we will certainly draw on this—and our good reputation—when it comes to engaging with them on fisheries. But this will not apply to all aspects of the CFP, in particular the setting of annual catch limits, which will continue to remain the exclusive preserve of the Commission and member states acting in concert.

Sewers

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what work is being undertaken to map the underground water drainage network.

Phil Woolas: The 10 water and sewerage companies in England and Wales have a statutory duty to keep records of the location of every public sewer, lateral drain or disposal main which is vested in them. They must also keep a record of the location of those that are subject to a declaration of vesting and those where an agreement to make such a declaration has been made.
	There is no requirement to keep, and no comprehensive record exists of, the location of private sewers or drains. In March 2007, the Government published a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) to accompany the announcement of its decision to proceed with the transfer of private sewers and drains in England and Wales into the ownership of the water and sewerage companies. The RIA recorded that the unpublished 2002 UK Water Industry Research report, 'The Real Cost of Taking Over Private Sewers and Drains', estimated that a mapping exercise for private sewers would cost £118 million.

Sewers

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many responses he received to his consultation on the adoption of private sewers; if he will publish summaries of those responses; and what steps he now plans to take.

Phil Woolas: A total of 119 individual responses to the consultation were received. In addition, 68 letters were received from franchisees in support of a national drainage contractor's response and 26 identical letters in support of one from a residents' spokesperson.
	I will ask officials to inform the hon. Member when the full breakdown of responses has been made available on the DEFRA website.
	DEFRA officials are currently working with a stakeholder steering group on the practical aspects of implementation. This is necessary before preparing any draft regulations which would put transfer in place. The Government will consult on these regulations before presenting them to Parliament for approval.

Sustainable Development: Products

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the energy-using products framework directive does not distort the market for such products.

Joan Ruddock: The Government's Market Transformation Programme is currently assessing the full range of possible impacts of implementation of the energy-using products directive, based on the Commission's current proposals.
	DEFRA officials have invited key stakeholders, including members of the boiler and water heater industry, to discuss implementation of the energy- using products directive and raise any concerns on implications for the UK. The Commission is currently analysing responses from the industry and the alternative proposals it has put forward.
	DEFRA officials have also attended meetings with the European Trade Associations in order to learn more about the issues the boiler and heating industry face across Europe.

Waste Disposal: Small Businesses

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the proportion of the total waste stream attributable to small and medium-sized enterprises in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 3 March 2008
	 DEFRA does not hold data on the proportion of the waste stream attributable to small and medium-sized enterprises.
	The most recent survey on industrial and commercial waste was carried out in 2002-03 by the Environment Agency. Information was collected from approximately 4,500 businesses and included the type, quantity and form of the waste, as well as the disposal or recovery method used. Data collection was limited to controlled waste and related to England only. Results for commercial waste from this survey show an estimated total tonnage of nearly 68 million tonnes. An unpublished analysis of the size of enterprise shows that, where employee size was known, around 15 per cent. of commercial waste was produced by those with fewer than 10 employees and around 37 per cent. was produced by enterprises with 10 or more, but fewer than 100 employees.
	Further information is available, broken down by region, from the Environment Agency's website.

White Fish: Conservation

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will introduce measures to protect spawning bass.

Jonathan R Shaw: Scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea in 2004, and subsequent advice to DEFRA from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, suggests that the bass stock is fished sustainably. I currently have no plans to introduce measures to protect spawning congregations of bass. However, with a view to providing additional protection for stocks of bass, I announced last year a review of bass nursery areas and inshore netting restrictions.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour: Shopping Centres

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government has taken to tackle antisocial behaviour in shopping precincts since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 29 February 2008
	While we have not taken any specific steps to tackle antisocial behaviour in shopping precincts, we have provided practitioners with a toolkit to tackle antisocial behaviour, which they operate according to local priorities, and a practitioner website and advice line. The case studies and advice provided help tackle antisocial behaviour in a number of settings, including shopping precincts.

Asylum

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers were removed from the UK  (a) in total and  (b) at port in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 4 February 2008
	Published figures are available in "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom".
	Copies of this publication and others relating to immigration to the UK are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office research, development and statistics directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

CCTV

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of closed circuit television cameras in each region of England and Wales.

Vernon Coaker: No data on the number of CCTV cameras operating on a local or on a national level is centrally held by the Home Office.

Crime

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what change there has been in  (a) crime and  (b) detection rates in (i) each category of offence and (ii) overall in each basic command unit in the last (A) year and (B) five years for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: The available information is given in the tables placed in the House Library. Data from 2002-03 has been used in the calculations rather than using data from five years ago (i.e. 2001-02). This is because data for 2001-02 is not directly comparable with that for later years.
	Some forces have re-structured their basic command units which has resulted in many comparisons not being possible.
	It should be noted that non-sanction detections that contribute to the percentage change in detection rates have fallen in recent years reflecting a significant shift by many police forces away from recording detections of crime where no further action is taken. For this reason overall detections rates over time are not fully comparable. From 1 April 2007 the rules governing recording of non-sanction detections were revised to reduce the scope within which they can be claimed to a very limited set of circumstances.

Crime Prevention: Schools

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government plans to take to tackle criminal activities at or near school entrances in Coventry.

Vernon Coaker: The Government are committed to improving the life chances of children and young people, by having fewer young people affected by crime and reduce youth victimisation.
	There is already a great deal of work going on across Government to tackle offenders and help vulnerable young people achieve the Every Child Matters outcome to 'Stay Safe'. Initiatives include Safer School Partnerships, Youth Inclusion Support Panels and the Youth Inclusion Programme and since 2004, we have invested over £45 million in youth offending teams which have pioneered antisocial behaviour prevention activities for young people at most risk.
	Safer Schools Partnerships (SSPs) were launched in 2002 in England and Wales and they help tackle criminal activity at or near school entrances. SSPs are a successful mechanism for ensuring joint working between schools and police, to identify and support children and young people regarded as being at high risk of victimisation, offending and social exclusion. There are now about 500 SSPs of one form or another. Evaluations have shown that they are proving effective in improving behaviour and attendance, developing strong and positive relationships between the police and young people, and to help young people develop a sense of being part of the local community.
	Reports from front-line staff suggest that the introduction of school-based officers under SSP have gone some way to improve the overall safety of the schools in Coventry and the wider community. One school has suggested that crime fell between 70-80 per cent. since the introduction of these measures.
	There is also a local scheme (Operation Rhyme) encouraging schools to stagger the end of school days in an effort to minimise potential problems between pupils. The school entrances are patrolled by uniformed police officers with the assistance of police community support officers.
	The use of metal search archways and the use of a police dog have also been used as a deterrent in some Coventry schools. This has been at the consent of the schools involved as well as the pupils and parents. Local police officers involved in the scheme say it has lead to a greater well-being and safer school environment.

Crime Prevention: Schools

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to work with schools to reduce crime on school premises since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The main initiative to tackle crime on school premises in the last 10 years has been the Safer School Partnerships (SSPs).
	SSPs are a successful mechanism for ensuring structured joint working between schools and police. Evaluations have shown they are proving effective in improving behaviour and attendance, with truancy falling significantly and pupils and staff feeling much safer. Originally launched in areas targeted by the Street Crime Initiative in 2002, there are now over 500 SSPs in one form or another across the country.
	Because of the proven success of SSPs, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has been working closely with the Home Office, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Youth Justice Board (YJB) to encourage more schools and police to engage in this type of early intervention and preventative work which is so vital to achieving the outcomes we are all committed to.
	DCSF also announced, in October 2006, that schools had a power randomly to screen pupils using metal detectors in arches or hand-held wands. The use of screening arches in schools and other places was introduced in May 2007 by the Government and brought in force a new power for schools to search without consent, pupils suspected of carrying a weapon.
	The great majority of schools don't have a problem with knife crime. Nevertheless, in a very small number of schools it may be necessary, at the discretion of the school and working with the police, to search pupils. The Government introduced in May last year new measures to enable the searching of weapons by teaching staff to ensure schools continue to be safe and secure places to learn. The use of search arches—in schools and other places—is currently being considered by the Government as part of a range of measures to tackle knife crime, which will be featured in the Violent Crime Action Plan to be published in February.
	The Government have also launched various wider initiatives which contribute to reducing crime in schools.
	Since 2004, it has invested over £45 million in youth crime prevention funding to youth offending teams which have pioneered crime prevention activities for young people at most risk. Their work includes:
	Youth Inclusion Support Panels; and
	Youth Inclusion Programmes.
	The Home Office has invested in other prevention programmes such as Positive Futures. Around 22,000 young people are currently involved in Positive Futures projects nationwide.

Crimes of Violence: Crime Prevention

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government is taking to reduce the incidence of  (a) knife crime,  (b) gun crime and  (c) violent crime.

Vernon Coaker: On 18 February 2008, the Home Office published 'Saving Lives. Reducing Harm. Protecting the Public. An Action Plan for Tackling Violence 2008-11'. This sets out cross-Government work to reduce the most serious violent and sexual offences, and to ensure an effective and efficient response by the Criminal Justice System in bringing offenders to justice where they do occur. It includes actions to reduce knife crime, in particular involving young people, gun crime and gang-related violence.

Crimes of Violence: Crime Prevention

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government has taken to reduce violent crime since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 22 February 2008
	 The Government have undertaken a wide-ranging programme to tackle violent crime which has resulted in a reduction of 31 per cent. since 1997.
	For example, through the Tackling Violent Crime Programme, the Home Office has been working intensively with practitioners in a small number of local areas with high levels of more serious violent crime, to support their efforts to reduce alcohol-related crime and domestic violence, to improve police and other agencies' performance and partnership working, and to improve local strategies. The Tackling Gangs Action Programme is also working in four cities (London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham) to tackle gangs and associated issues, in particular firearms.
	As a further example, in the context of domestic violence, we have developed the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) process, whereby a range of agencies work together to share information about known domestic violence victims and develop co-ordinated multi-agency action plans to reduce the risk of repeat victimisation. In Cardiff, an independent evaluation has shown that MARACs there have cut repeat victimisation from over 30 per cent. to below 10 per cent.

Crimes of Violence: Crime Prevention

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources have been committed to the delivery of the Action Plan for Tackling Violence 2008-11.

Vernon Coaker: Tackling violence is core business for the police and other agencies. In 2007-08, the Home Office has made over £7.5 billion available for spending on policing, crime reduction, antisocial behaviour and drug misuse in England and Wales.
	In addition to this core funding, some extra resources will be committed to the delivery of the Tackling Violence Action Plan. Funding details have not been finalised, but will include a new £1 million campaign to challenge the 'glamour', fear and peer pressure that can drive youngsters to knife crime. More than £20 million will be made available over the next three years to support the rollout of multi-agency interventions and information sharing, involving local police, council and health workers across the country to manage and identify people at risk of committing serious violence as well as providing support for victims. We will also be providing resources for other actions in the plan.

Crimes of Violence: Football

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps the Government have taken to reduce football-related violence;
	(2)  what steps the Government have taken to prevent football spectators bringing weapons to matches.

Vernon Coaker: Significant violence at football matches is now extremely rare. The multi-agency football disorder strategy introduced after Euro 2000 has been highly successful in reducing levels of English and Welsh football violence both at home and abroad. Arrests for offences of football violence, both inside and away from grounds, have decreased by 46 per cent. over the past three seasons and are now the lowest on record. Last season around 39 million spectators attended football matches involving English and Welsh club and international teams and on average there was just one arrest in connection with each match. The arrests were for a wide variety of football-related offences committed inside and away from grounds and included a total of 41 arrests for possession of an offensive weapon. In view of the reduced risk of violence or disorder, and on the basis of a police risk assessment in respect of each match, 43 per cent. of all League and Cup matches in the 2006-07 season were played with no police in attendance.
	The success of the Home Office co-ordinated strategy is a result of a number of factors, including tough but proportionate football banning order legislation, intelligence-led policing operations, integrated in-stadia safety and security arrangements and the dedication and commitment of all parties, including the fans. There is no complacency. Preventing and tackling the lingering, if much reduced, threat of football violence will continue to be treated as a high priority.

Debt Collection: Regulation

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to bring the regulation of private bailiffs within the purview of the Security Industry Authority; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Ministry of Justice will publish on its website in March the analysis of responses to their consultation paper, "Regulation of Enforcement Agents". This recommends regulation of enforcement agents by the SIA. The Home Office has started work, with the Ministry of Justice, to draft an affirmative order which will amend Schedule 2 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 to extend the remit of the SIA to licence enforcement agents. We aim for this to be laid before Parliament later this year, with a common commencement date in 2009. Further details about the timescale will be in the Final Impact Assessment, which the Ministry of Justice will publish later in the year.

Departmental Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) men and  (b) women of each civil service grade are employed by her Department.

Liam Byrne: The number of staff (FTE) employed by Home Office broken down by grade and gender as at 30 September 2007 is as follows.
	
		
			  Grade  Women  Men  Total 
			  Home Office HQ
			 SCS 32.5 92.7 125.3 
			 Grade 6 75.6 116.2 191.8 
			 Grade 7 190.6 276.1 466.7 
			 Senior Executive Officer 243.8 326 569.7 
			 Higher Executive Officer 292.8 332.3 625.1 
			 Executive Officer 343.6 261.3 604.9 
			 Administrative Officer 354.7 215.4 570.1 
			 Administrative Assistant 54.6 83.8 138.3 
			 Other 144.6 266 410.6 
			 Total 1,732.8 1,969.7 3,702.5 
			 
			  Border and Immigration Agency
			 Administrative Assistant 1,057 820 1,877 
			 Assistant Immigration Officer 434 492 926 
			 Administrative Officer 2,555 1,511 4,066 
			 Chief Immigration Officer 374 518 892 
			 Executive Officer 2,119 1,298 3,417 
			 Grade 6 41 87 128 
			 Grade 7 179 188 367 
			 Higher Executive Officer 1,183 897 2,080 
			 Immigration Inspector 98 136 234 
			 Immigration Officer 1,759 1,944 3,703 
			 Senior Civil Servant 15 30 45 
			 Senior Executive Officer 466 385 851 
			 Total 10,280 8,306 18,586 
			 
			  Identity and Passport Service
			 PO1 329 211 540 
			 PO2 256 136 392 
			 PO3 1,209 522 1,731 
			 Executive Officer 525 347 872 
			 Grade 6 12 17 29 
			 Grade 7 29 40 69 
			 Higher Executive Officer 187 118 305 
			 Senior Civil Servant 6 14 20 
			 Senior Executive Officer 74 93 167 
			 Total 2,627 1,498 4,125 
			 
			  Criminal Record Bureau
			 Administrative Assistant 1 0 1 
			 Administrative Officer 98 169 267 
			 Executive Officer 49 69 118 
			 Higher Executive Officer 23 22 45 
			 Senior Executive Officer 9 13 22 
			 Grade 7 7 4 11 
			 Senior Civil Servant 4 0 4 
			 Total 191 277 468

Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of reported domestic violence incidents resulted in  (a) caution,  (b) arrest and  (c) charge in each police authority area in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office collects data on the proportion of domestic violence incidents that result in an arrest. However, we do not require police forces routinely to flag cautions or charges as domestic violence related. This is due to arrests as a proportion of domestic violence incidences being included in the 2007-08 Police Performance Assessment Framework. This is also being proposed for the 2008-09 Assessment of Policing and Community Safety Performance Framework.
	Domestic violence related arrests by police authority area are published on the Home Office website and can be found at the following link:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/performance
	The published data are for 2005-06 and 2006-07, the two years the Home Office has been collecting this data.

Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) convicted and  (b) arrested domestic violence perpetrators had previous convictions for violence in the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: This information is not collected centrally. However, the new cross-Government Tackling Violence Action Plan, published on 18 February 2008, includes action to strengthen the arrangements for managing those individuals, including domestic violence perpetrators, who are identified as being at risk of committing serious violence. We are currently in the process of establishing what data are needed to monitor this action effectively.

Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to implement section 12 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004.

Vernon Coaker: Section 12 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 will enable courts to impose restraining orders on those convicted of any offence, and also on those who are acquitted for any offence. This will mean that restraining orders will be available in a much wider range of cases.
	We are currently working with the Ministry of Justice on the resource implications of this provision. When we have resolved this issue, we will be in a position to agree timetable for the implementation of this section of the Act.

Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many non-molestation order cases perpetrators have been  (a) held on remand,  (b) bailed and  (c) bailed without notice.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office does not routinely collect these data from the police.

Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been allocated to dedicated domestic violence courts for  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10.

Vernon Coaker: In 2007-08, funding was allocated to independent domestic violence adviser (IDVAs) services and to implement multi-agency risk assessment conferences (MARACs) within specialist domestic violence court (SDVC) areas. Further IDVA funding was accessed in 2007-08 by areas wishing to develop an SDVC. This funding totalled £3 million for IDVAs and £1.85 million for MARAC administration.
	Funding decisions for future years will be dependent on the number of SDVCs selected in this current selection round and in future selection rounds.

Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what monitoring she has undertaken of the implementation of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Ministry of Justice/Her Majesty's Courts Service have commissioned an evaluation of the impact of the most recently implemented provision in the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004—section 1, which made breach of a non-molestation order a criminal offence. An evaluation report is due shortly.
	Earlier provisions commenced in 2005—for example, extending to members of same sex couples the right to apply for a protective civil injunction against domestic violence from a partner—now form part of standard business. Her Majesty's Court Service monitors trends in applications and orders through the family court IT system.

Domestic Violence: Homicide

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to use the power in the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 to direct the establishment of domestic homicide reviews.

Vernon Coaker: Following a public consultation exercise in 2006 on the draft guidance for establishing and conducting domestic homicide reviews under section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, issues around the potential impact of this provision on local authorities were raised.
	We are currently working with colleagues in Communities and Local Government (CLG) on the resource implications of implementing this provision, and hope to be in a position to commence this section shortly.

Drugs: Research

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the purpose is of the research into illegal drug markets by the Research, Development and Statistics Directorate of her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 22 February 2008
	The 2002 update to the UK's Drug Strategy highlighted knowledge gaps in relation to the dynamics of the illegal drug markets. In particular, there was a dearth of evidence on the supply chain from importation to street-level sale; the routes and methods used to supply the market; and, the way in which interventions affected the key players in the supply chain.
	By interviewing a sample of convicted drug traffickers and dealers, the study commissioned by the Research, Development and Statistics Directorate (RDS) aimed to fill this gap in the knowledge base and provide us with a crucial insight into the dynamics of the drug market.
	The findings from the research, which have been published, includes information on how dealers and traffickers enter the market, how they run their enterprises and how they respond to the risks they perceive. The findings are very useful for the further development of policy and practice to disrupt the supply of illegal drugs.

Forced Marriage

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance  (a) her Department,  (b) other departments and  (c) other agencies issue on forced marriage; and how her Department monitors compliance with that guidance.

Vernon Coaker: The Forced Marriage Unit has produced guidelines on tackling forced marriage for police, social services, health and education practitioners. The Unit is currently reissuing guidelines for social workers in two versions, one for those working with vulnerable adults and another for those working with young people.
	The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act, which received Royal Assent in July 2007, makes provision for these guidelines to be reissued on a statutory basis.
	Forced marriage is addressed as an issue in the cross-Government Tackling Violence Action Plan, published on 18 February 2008. The Ministerial Action Group responsible for implementing the Plan will ensure that the guidelines are adhered to.

Forced Marriage

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to tackle forced marriages in England; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Forced Marriage Unit was set up by the Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2005. The unit contributes to Government policy on forced marriage, and its actions, which include the co-ordination of an outreach programme to raise awareness of the problem of forced marriage, and a dedicated support and advice helpline for victims, form part of the National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan.
	In 2007 the unit assisted approximately 400 victims of forced marriage and also contributed to the passage of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 through Parliament.
	The unit has issued guidelines for professionals (police, education professionals, health and social workers) on dealing with cases of forced marriage. When implemented, the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 will place these guidelines on a statutory footing.
	Over the coming months we will be working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers to develop an action plan for honour based violence.
	We will also be running a series of regional seminars on honour based violence and forced marriage starting in the spring. The aim of these seminars will be to raise awareness in local communities and to stimulate decisive action to protect victims and potential victims. It is envisaged that this will also be the start of a continuing dialogue with communities.
	This work will be embedded in the next three years through the Tackling Violence Action Plan which will seek to reduce all homicides and serious violence including honour-related killings.

Forced Marriage

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requirements exist for agencies to carry out multi-agency risk assessments in cases of suspected forced marriages.

Vernon Coaker: Guidance issued by the Forced Marriage Unit to the police, social services, health and education professionals covers risk factors which may indicate that a person is being forced into marriage. The guidance recommends the use of the Government's 'Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families' to establish the level of risk.
	Other risk assessment tools have been developed in relation to domestic violence, the definition of which includes forced marriage, and local Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences are starting to receive referrals which involve forced marriage, as local agencies become more aware of forced marriage as an issue.

Forced Marriage: Victim Support Schemes

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what accredited training is available to agencies working with victims of  (a) forced marriage and  (b) attempted honour killings.

Vernon Coaker: A wide range of people deal with the issue of forced marriage, including teachers, social workers, youth workers and health professionals. It is recognised that specialist training is required to provide these professionals with the skills needed to identify and manage cases of forced marriage. Staff from these professions receive training in accordance with their professional training bodies. In-house training is provided to Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) staff and overseas staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to prepare them for working with victims of forced marriage. The FMU also provides briefing sessions to other agencies that deal with forced marriage.
	The Home Office provides funds for Independent Domestic Violence Advisers to receive accredited training from the Coordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse, which covers the issues of forced marriage and honour-based violence.

Homicide: Females

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will hold discussions with Muslim community leaders on advice to women who are in fear of honour killings.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 26 February 2008
	As part of the National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan we will be running a series of regional seminars on honour based violence and forced marriage starting in the spring.
	The aim of these seminars will be to raise awareness in local communities and stimulate decisive action to protect victims and potential victims. It is envisaged that this will also be the start of a continuing dialogue with communities.

Homicide: Females

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to tackle honour killings; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: In March 2005 we developed our National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan. This focuses on five key outcomes:
	to reduce the number of domestic violence homicides;
	to reduce the prevalence of domestic violence;
	to increase the rate that domestic violence is reported;
	to increase the proportion of domestic violence offences that are brought to justice; and
	to ensure that victims of domestic violence are adequately protected and supported.
	As part of this Delivery Plan, specific action has been taken to address honour based violence and forced marriage. Over the coming months we will be working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers to develop an action plan for honour based violence.
	We will also be running a series of regional seminars on honour based violence and forced marriage starting in the spring. The aim of these seminars will be to raise awareness in local communities and to stimulate decisive action to protect victims and potential victims. It is envisaged that this will also be the start of a continuing dialogue with communities.
	This work will be embedded in the next three years through the Tackling Violence Action Plan which will seek to reduce all homicides and serious violence including honour-related killings.

Human Trafficking

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) arrested and  (b) convicted for human trafficking offences in (i) Cambridgeshire, (ii) Peterborough and (iii) the UK in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004. 232 arrests have been made for human trafficking offences with 134 being charged with trafficking and trafficking related offences. Conviction figures under dedicated trafficking legislation for the United Kingdom are as follows:
	
		
			   Number of convictions 
			 2004 3 
			 2005 21 
			 2006 30 
			 2007 17 
		
	
	There have been six arrests in Cambridgeshire all of which took place in 2007-08 all of which are being processed through the criminal justice system.
	There are no figures available in relation to the number of arrests in Peterborough specifically.

Illegal Immigrants

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of illegal immigrants removed from the United Kingdom were removed having not passed immigration control.

Liam Byrne: No Government has ever been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the country illegally, particularly since the phase out of exit controls in 1994.

Internet: Children

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to encourage internet service providers to reduce children's access to harmful internet content.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Secretary's Taskforce on Online Child Protection brings together Government, law enforcement, children's agencies and the internet industry to work together to ensure that children can use the internet in safety. It has the aims of making the UK the best and safest place in the world for children to use the internet.
	There are excellent working relationships with the internet industry, and they have developed strong working practices and guidelines relating to services they offer and content they host. Where a UK ISP is advised—usually by law enforcement—that they are hosting material, which is illegal, they have an excellent record in removing it.
	In September 2007, the Prime Minister announced a review into the risk to children of exposure to harmful or inappropriate content in video games and online. The review will also assess the effectiveness and adequacy of existing measures to help prevent children from being exposed to such material and help parents understand and manage the risks of access to inappropriate content.
	Dr. Tanya Byron is conducting this review and will report to Ministers in March 2008. The Home Office looks forward to hearing the recommendations.

Internet: Crime

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of levels of e-crime  (a) in the last year and  (b) over the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The Government prosecute all crimes based on illegal actions and not the medium used. As such, all legislation criminalises offences regardless of whether they were committed on or off line and so there are no estimated levels of e-crime as a whole.

Internet: Crime

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms exist for the reporting of e-crime to law enforcement authorities.

Vernon Coaker: The Government take the view that the UK should prosecute criminal acts based on the offence committed and not the medium used. Therefore crimes committed using the internet should be reported in the same way as crimes committed offline; to the police.
	Where credit or debit card fraud is involved, the cardholder should report the matter directly to their bank or card company. It is then for the bank or card company to verify the crime and report it to the police. This applies to card fraud committed online as well as offline.
	The Government have allocated £28 million over three years to implement the recommendations of the fraud review. This includes the creation of a National Fraud Reporting Centre (NFRC) which will cover online fraud.
	Both the Child Exploitation Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) have reporting mechanisms aimed at members of the public to report instances of child abuse or websites containing child abuse images.

Internet: Crime

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with internet search providers on tackling the use of search engines to provide  (a) illegal and  (b) harmful internet content.

Vernon Coaker: In December 2005, the Home Office Task Force on the Protection of Children on the Internet published the "Good Practice guide for search providers and advice to the public on how to search safely". This document was produced in conjunction with representatives from the search provider industry and other UK experts, and is aimed at the public and at companies who provide search across all platforms. It provides a model of good practice to search providers and gives advice to help the public, especially parents and carers, make good use of search engines and reduce the risk of being exposed to unwanted and unsuitable results.
	Furthermore, the major search provider companies work closely and effectively with UK self-regulatory body, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), to promote online safety. The IWF provides a dynamic list of child sexual abuse websites to search providers which enables them to better manage the quality of search returns, blocking those that feature on the child sexual abuse list, to help protect internet users.
	The IWF is also in a position to provide intelligence around the number and nature of search returns regarding potentially illegal and potentially inappropriate online content. It has provided this intelligence recently, for example, to the Government's consultation on Extreme Pornography legislation, the Byron Review and the DCMS Select Committee Review regarding online content such as adult pornography, child sexual abuse 'cartoons', and mutilation, bestiality and necrophilia websites.

Internet: Crime

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to ratify the Cybercrime Convention; and when she expects ratification to take place.

Vernon Coaker: The Government fully supports the Cybercrime Convention and detailed work will begin on its ratification in April 2008.

Internet: Crime

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time taken was between discovery and removal by internet service providers of  (a) illegal and  (b) fraudulent content on the internet in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: On the rare occasion child sexual abuse content reported to the Internet Watch Foundation is found to be hosted in the UK, the organisation's successful self-regulatory partnership with the online industry means it is removed expeditiously; typically within a matter of hours. It is worth noting that in 1997 18 per cent. of child sexual abuse content was found to be hosted in the UK and that this figure has been less than 1 per cent. since 2003 because of the work of the IWF with the online sector and the success of their universal notice and take-down initiative ensuring any such abuse of UK online services is dealt with swiftly and effectively.
	As regards incitement to racial hatred and criminally obscene content, there have been no instances of UK hosted incitement to racial hatred content between 2005 and 2007 and just two instances of UK hosted criminally obscene content in the same period which were removed.
	In relation to fraudulent websites, ISPs are required to shut down these sites within a reasonable amount of time once they have been informed about its existence by law enforcement under the e commerce directive. The directive offers ISPs protection from liability for hosting, transmitting or caching illegal material of which they have no knowledge (this would include fraudulent content). Once the material is brought to the attention of the ISP (by law enforcement), they lose their protection unless they take the material off their site as quickly as possible. There are excellent working relationships between the internet industry and law enforcement, and they have developed strong working practices and guidelines relating to services they offer and content they host. The internet industry has an excellent record in removing websites operating illegally.
	The Government do not hold information on the time taken to remove these sites.

Internet: Regulation

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what Acts passed in the last 10 years for which her Department is responsible contained provisions regulating the internet.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office manages the Computer Misuse Act 1990 which covers crimes committed against computer systems. We do not regulate the internet or computer systems as such.

Internet: Standards

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when her Department first asked the British Standards Institution to produce a kite mark for internet filters.

Vernon Coaker: The BSI kitemark project arose from the Home Secretary's taskforce on Online Child Protection and is a joint Home Office and Ofcom initiative. The British Standards Institution (BSI) was first approached in October 2004 to produce publicly available specification for rating filtering and monitoring software.

Internet: Standards

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the good practice guidance for social networking and user interactive services to be published; and what discussions she has had with the multi-stakeholder project group working on this.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office is actively considering dates, this will be confirmed in the near future.
	The project group has had active support from Home Office Ministers throughout its development.

Internet: Young People

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support her Department has provided to Safer Internet Day in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office fully supports the work of Safer Internet Day, part of the EU's Safer Internet Plus programme. Since the creation of the child exploitation online protection centre (CEOP), they have co-ordinated awareness raising among children and parents on staying safe online. CEOP is UK awareness node for the EU's Safer Internet Plus programme.

Members: Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a reply will be sent to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford's letter of 7 January 2008 (acknowledgement reference: HO: M453/8) concerning his constituent Mr. S. Stratton.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 21 February 2008
	The issues that were raised in the letter related to operational matters that are solely the responsibility of the Security Industry Authority (SIA). The original correspondence (ref M453/8) was passed to the SIA and I understand that they wrote to the hon. Member about Mr. Stratton's application on 20 February.

Offensive Weapons

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people under the age of 18 years were arrested for carrying a  (a) knife and  (b) firearm in (i) England and Wales, (ii) the north east, (iii) the Tees Valley and (iv) Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many school pupils were arrested for taking a weapon into school in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) the north east,  (c) Tees Valley district and  (d) Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Offensive Weapons: Injuries

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of all reported injuries as a result of assault were inflicted by knives in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: From the information collected centrally on police recorded crime, it is not possible to identify those offences where an assault with a knife resulted in injury. The details of the circumstances of specific offences do not feature in the recorded crime statistics.
	However, with effect from April 2007, police forces have been providing data on knife-enabled grievous bodily harm and robbery offences. The first full year's data for this will be available from July.

Offensive Weapons: Prosecutions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislative proposals she intends to bring forward to ensure that everyone found in possession of a knife in public in a crime hot spot is prosecuted.

Vernon Coaker: The Tackling Violence Action Plan, published on 18 February, outlines the Government's efforts to tackle knife crime over the next three years.
	We are currently working with the Crown Prosecution Service and the police to see how the arrangements agreed in London for the prosecution of knife possession offences might be extended more widely.

Offensive Weapons: Prosecutions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will issue guidance to the police to ensure that everyone found in possession of a knife in public in a crime hot spot is prosecuted.

Vernon Coaker: We are currently working with the Crown Prosecution Service and the police on how the arrangements agreed in London for the prosecution of knife possession offences might be extended more widely.

Organised Crime: Crime Prevention

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government have taken to combat organised crime since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Since 1997, the Government's aim has been to make the UK a more hostile environment for organised crime.
	In 2002 we introduced the Proceeds of Crime Act. Since the Act came into force in 2003 we have recovered over £360 million of criminally derived assets and there has been a five-fold increase of moneys recovered annually. We have targets to recover more; doubling the annual amount to £250 million by 2010.
	In 2004, we issued a White Paper "One Step Ahead - A 21st Century Strategy to Defeat Organised Crime" from which flowed the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. This Act introduced new measures to help disrupt criminal activity and convict those responsible.
	The Act also established the Serious Organised Crime Agency which became operative on 1 April 2006. It brought together the main national agencies for tackling organised crime into a single unit with the aim of reducing the harm caused to the UK by organised crime. It is already demonstrating its success as described in its annual report for 2006-07.
	In October 2007 the Serious Crime Act 2007 gained Royal Assent. The Act introduced new measures to prevent and detect serious crime, including Serious Crime Prevention Orders which allow courts to impose restrictive conditions on those proved to be involved in serious crime. The Act will also merge the Asset Recovery Agency with the Serious Organised Crime Agency from 1 April 2008.

Perjury: Expenditure

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  in how many cases the cost of investigating alleged offences of  (a) perjury and  (b) attempting to pervert the course of justice has exceeded £1 million in the last five years;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the cost of investigation of the most expensive case of  (a) perjury and  (b) attempting to pervert the course of justice in each of the last five years; and how many police officers were engaged in the investigation of each such case in each year.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 28 February 2008
	The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Pornography: Internet

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the proportion of child abuse internet websites hosted in the United States; and what discussions she has had with the US Administration on reducing the number of such sites.

Vernon Coaker: The Internet Watch Foundation's (IWF) last published figures (Annual Report 2006) show that 54.3 per cent. of all child sexual abuse domains known to the IWF appeared to be hosted in the US, and 62 per cent. of commercial child sexual abuse domains. The IWF passes intelligence relating to US hosted child sexual abuse websites to its Hotline partner in the US (Cybertipline, part of National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)) and via Child Exploitation Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and Interpol, to US law enforcement. The IWF recently hosted a visit from associates at NCMEC who were keen to learn from IWF experience. The IWF has also recently visited the US Hotline for a similar sharing exercise.
	A US Congress delegation visited the UK in 2007 on a fact finding tour. This led to the publication of the Congress Report by the US House of Representatives 109(th) Congress following their inquiry into child sexual abuse content on the internet last year. The main references to recommended best practice and the IWF are on pages 6-8. Key issues mentioned are NCMEC and IWF sharing lists of child sexual abuse websites; the US emulating the UK/IWF blocking initiative; and pressure being put on ICANN to combat false and illegal domain names which have been selling illegal images for many years on the same website address:
	http://republicans.energycommerce.house.gov/108/News/01032007_Report.pdf
	CEOP also have close working relationships with US partners through the Virtual Global Taskforce.
	The Home Office has had no recent discussions with the US Administration on reducing the number of websites hosting child abuse images hosted in America.

Risk Assessment: Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to enable multi-agency risk assessments to be on a statutory basis.

Vernon Coaker: Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) are a recent development in services offered to victims of domestic violence.
	MARACs are being rolled out incrementally to ensure that standards are maintained and monitored through the Home office funded MARAC Implementation programme provided by the charitable training agency Coordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA). We currently have no plans to place MARACs on a statutory footing, but are keeping the situation under review.

Romford Police: Stop and Search

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals were found to be carrying  (a) illegal weapons and  (b) illegal drugs during stop and search procedures by the police in Romford in each of the last four years.

Vernon Coaker: This information is not collected centrally. Information about stop-and-search procedures for the Essex police force area as a whole is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Searches by Essex police of persons or vehicles under section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and other legislation( 1)  and resultant arrests, by reason for search/arrest 
			  Number 
			   Searches made by reason for search  Arrests made by reason for arrest 
			   Drugs  Firearms  Offensive weapons  Drugs  Firearms  Offensive weapons 
			 2002-03 2,435 53 763 339 9 97 
			 2003-04 1,945 100 819 300 7 91 
			 2004-05 2,751 95 1,077 309 10 127 
			 2005-06 3,445 188 932 286 19 118 
			 (1) Includes searches for drugs and firearms under the Misuse of Dugs Act 1971 and the Firearms Act 1968 respectively. 
		
	
	
		
			  Searches by Essex police of persons or vehicles under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and resultant arrests 
			  Number 
			   Stops and searches in anticipation of violence 
			   Searches  Number of persons found to be carrying offensive weapons or dangerous instruments  Arrests for offensive weapons 
			 2002-03 — — — 
			 2003-04 311 5 1 
			 2004-05 248 2 3 
			 2005-06 753 3 1 
			  Note:  Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.

Sexual Offences: Multiple Occupation

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to counter violence and sexual assault in mixed houses when in the context of multi-occupancy housing in areas with large migrant worker populations.

Vernon Coaker: The Government have introduced the mandatory licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) of three or more storeys, housing five or more persons who form two or more households. Landlords of licensable HMOs must be identified as being "fit and proper" persons.
	Local housing authorities must have regard to any previous convictions relating to violence, sexual offences, drugs, fraud, housing and landlord and tenant offences, before licences can be issued. Landlords may also seek possession of a property if a tenant is in beach of their tenancy agreement, or has been guilty of unlawful conduct.

Sexual Offences: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many residents in  (a) Tamworth constituency and  (b) Staffordshire were on the national sex offenders register at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Data on registered sexual offenders are collated geographically by police force area and broken down to basic command unit (BCU) area. The data are published in local Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) annual reports, which are available in the House Libraries and online at:
	http://www.probation.justice.gov.uk/output/page30.asp
	The Tamworth constituency is not coterminous with any BCU area, but is covered by the data relating to the Trent Valley BCU in Staffordshire.
	As of 31 March 2007, there were 145 registered sex offenders in Trent Valley and 676 in Staffordshire.

Shoplifting

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to reduce shoplifting.

Vernon Coaker: The Government are working in partnership with retail organisations to tackle retail crime including shoplifting. As part of this work we have set up a National Retail Crime Steering Group to provide an opportunity for discussion of retailers' crime concerns and to devise strategies to deal with these.
	We have made a commitment to raise the profile of crimes against businesses, make provision for better information about them and produce guidance to support local partnerships in their efforts to tackle the crimes which affect them.
	The Home Office has also provided funding to the Perpetuity Group to develop a crime reduction tool for small and medium sized retailers to design out crime in their stores and significantly reduce the opportunities for shop thieves to operate.

Shoplifting: Cleveland

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the incidence of shoplifting in  (a) the Cleveland Police Area and  (b) Stockton in the latest period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: It is not possible to accurately assess the incidence of shoplifting. For a variety of reasons many offences are not reported to the police and many offences do not come to the attention of the victim. The available information is contained in the Home Office recorded crime statistics.
	Between 2005-06 and 2006-07, shoplifting offences recorded in Cleveland decreased by 6 per cent. from 4,924 to 4,652 offences. In 2006-07, shoplifting accounted for 7 per cent. of all crime recorded by the police in the Cleveland police force area.
	Overall in 2006-07 there was a fall of 5 per cent. in total recorded crime in Cleveland. There were also significant decreases in some of the high volume crimes with theft of a motor vehicle both down 22 per cent. and domestic burglary down 15 per cent.
	Between 2005-06 and 2006-07, shoplifting offences recorded in the Stockton Basic Command Unit decreased by 9 per cent. from 1,151 to 1,053 offences. In 2006-07, shoplifting accounted for 6 per cent. of all crime recorded by the police in the Stockton BCU.
	Overall in 2006-07 there was a fall of 5 per cent. in total recorded crime in Stockton. There were also significant decreases in some of the high volume crimes with violence against the person and theft of a motor vehicle both down 12 per cent., theft from a vehicle down 14 per cent. and domestic burglary down 9 per cent.

Support Orders

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 25 January 2007,  Official Report, column 2029W, on support orders, when she will publish the results of the three month survey of 50 respect areas to assess the use of individual support orders.

Vernon Coaker: The results of last year's survey of 50 areas will be placed in the Library when the next set of antisocial behaviour order data, which will include national data on the use of individual support orders, is published. We expect to do so shortly.

Task Force on Child Protection

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the operating budget was of the Child Exploitation Online Protection centre in each month since its inception in 2006; and how many dedicated staff were employed by it in each year.

Vernon Coaker: The Child Exploitation Online Protection Centre (CEOP) receives an annual budget from the Home Office, which is paid through the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) to which it is affiliated. In addition to the Home Office grant, CEOP receives significant levels of support from industry and the third sector.
	In 2007-08, CEOP received an annual budget (from the Home Office) of £5.657 million and an annual budget of £5.110 million in 2006-07.
	At the end of CEOP's first operational year 2006-07, it had nearly 80 staff, of whom, 10 were seconded from partner agencies. The figure is now 115, of which, 24 posts are either provided free by partners or are funded externally for discrete projects.

Terrorism: Internet

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce the potential of the internet to be a tool for extremist groups.

Tony McNulty: We are working with law enforcement and industry partners to target extremist use of the internet and where there is illegal material we are working to remove it. Under the Terrorism Act 2000/2006 this includes material that either incites or encourages terrorism. In the coming weeks we will be talking to industry, and those in the community, about what more we can do to protect communities from extremist exploitation of the internet.

Thefts: Metals

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce the incidence of metal thefts from ecclesiastical properties in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 3 March 2008
	We are working closely with a range of stakeholders, other Government Departments and the police to develop a response to tackle these crimes.
	I am aware that theft of metals is a growing concern which affects business, transport, communication and ecclesiastical properties.
	The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has set up a working group, chaired by the British Transport Police and with Home Office representation. The group is developing an action plan to address the problem from national co-ordination to local responses to tackle metal thieves, including an examination of the effectiveness of current legislation relating to scrap metal recycling.
	A national day of action was held at the end of January. In Cambridgeshire this resulted in several arrests in addition to checks being made on scrap metal dealers.

OLYMPICS

Departmental Advertising

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what percentage of her budget has been spent on advertising since its inception.

Tessa Jowell: The public sector funding package for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games does not include any specific provision for expenditure on the promotional advertising of the Games and none of this funding has been spent on such a purpose. This is because promotional advertising of the Games is planned and co-ordinated by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), as the body responsible for hosting and staging the Games in 2012. LOCOG's budget of £2 billion will be met almost entirely from private sources (the exception is a small contribution towards the staging of the Paralympic Games). LOCOG is, therefore, not funded from the public sector funding package.

Olympic Games 2012

Bob Neill: To ask the Minister for the Olympics which public authorities will have liabilities for operating and maintaining the facilities built for the London Olympics after 2012.

Tessa Jowell: Options are currently being developed for the long-term arrangements for ownership and management of the Olympic Park, including for the operation and maintenance of the facilities built for the London Games in 2012. Decisions are expected to be taken during 2008, in parallel with the development of the Legacy Masterplan Framework.

Olympic Games 2012: Construction

Bob Neill: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what estimate  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies have made of the annual revenue costs of (i) running buildings and facilities constructed for the 2012 Olympics and (ii) associated debt repayments once the Games are over; and to which public bodies liability for these costs will fall.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority and London Development Agency are currently considering the long-term viability of each of the venues to be constructed for the London Games. Work is also being carried out to develop a fully integrated business plan for the Olympic Park as a whole, which will take into account the likely annual revenue costs for the individual venues and other facilities. This work will also help the development of the Legacy Masterplan Framework, and development of the options for the long-term arrangements for the ownership and management of the Olympic Park, decisions on which are expected to be taken during 2008.

Olympic Games 2012: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps her Office  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to ensure that local authorities in Essex share in the (i) economic, (ii) social and (iii) sporting benefits arising from the 2012 Olympic Games; what discussions her Office has had with local authorities in Essex; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Government and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) are working hard to ensure the benefits of 2012 reach across the UK and have established a Nations and Regions Group (NRG) to oversee this work chaired by Charles Allen. Additionally, the Local Government Association (which is represented on the Group) is supporting local authorities across the UK in the lead up to the Games.
	Cllr Stephen Castle, who is the regional representative on NRG, chairs the Nations and Regions East (NRE) Board. This Board has representation from each of the six county areas in the East of England and each county has a 2012 working group. In Essex a Strategic Board has been set up and is supported and led by Essex County Council. The Board is chaired by Gary Sullivan, also Chair of the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership. The Board has the full involvement and representation from both Thurrock and Southend unitary authorities and provides relevant and appropriate activity to maximise the benefits from 2012.
	On 16 January, the London 2012 Business Network was launched, helping businesses across the country access and compete for 2012-related contracts. 1018 businesses from the East of England have already registered on CompeteFor—a ground breaking 'business dating agency' which goes further than previous Games in opening up the supply chain. 52 of the Olympic Delivery Authority's suppliers are Cabinet Office registered in the region.
	Local authorities can also apply to be a Beacon authority on Olympic and Paralympic legacy. The Beacon scheme will help us use the 2012 Games to encourage communities to be more active. Successful applicants to the scheme will be at the forefront of delivering programmes to increase participation at a local level and championing best practise. Applications are due in June and successful authorities for 2009 will be announced early next year.

Olympics 2012 Business Opportunities Network

Dai Davies: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what the regional publicity schedule for the Olympics 2012 Business Opportunities Network in South Wales is; what liaison has taken place with  (a) the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and  (b) the Welsh Assembly Government on the promotion of the Olympics 2012 Business Opportunities Network amongst small and medium-sized enterprises in Wales; and what interest has been shown by Welsh small and medium-sized enterprises in bidding for prospective Olympics 2012 contracts.

Tessa Jowell: On 16 January the Olympic Family nationally launched the London 2012 Business Network—a new mechanism for engaging SMEs in 2012 supply chains. The onus is now on businesses to sign up and get support to bid for and win contracts.
	We are now in the process of agreeing with the Welsh Assembly Government a date for a Welsh launch when London 2012 will talk face to face with Welsh businesses in partnership with BERR and the Welsh Assembly Government
	London 2012 will be further engaging with businesses across the country throughout the next four years to discuss both delivery and Games time contracts.
	To date 692 Welsh businesses have registered for e-alerts notifying them of forthcoming contract opportunities, which demonstrates a great enthusiasm for getting involved in 2012.

Television

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many plasma television screens have been purchased by her office, and at what cost, in the last 24 months.

Tessa Jowell: Since my appointment as Minister for the Olympics and London in June 2007, no plasma television screens have been purchased by my office.

TREASURY

Bingo

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will visit a bingo club in Castle Point constituency to discuss the effects of bingo club closures on  (a) employment and  (b) Exchequer revenues; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Treasury Ministers have no plans at present to make such a visit.

Customs Officers: Training

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many HM Revenue and Customs officers are trained in Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species-related issues; how many were trained in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Approximately 4,500 staff are engaged in anti smuggling duties and undertake training in Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species-related issues, as part of their mandatory training.
	The following table below highlights how many staff were trained in each year, since centrally kept records were kept:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1999 72 
			 2000 389 
			 2001 438 
			 2002 178 
			 2003 195 
			 2004 574 
			 2005 172 
			 2006 211 
			 2007 224

Departmental Equality

Roger Berry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of the duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Angela Eagle: In fulfilment of the duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty the Treasury will publish a report in spring 2008 when it publishes its Single Equality scheme. The Single Equality scheme will amalgamate the Treasury's three current equality schemes on (race, disability and gender).

Departmental Manpower

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what change there was in the number of employees of  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies and public bodies in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2006-07; and what percentage of the total change was accounted for by changes in each region and county.

Angela Eagle: The following table shows the change in the number of employees in the Chancellor's Departments over 2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07.
	
		
			  Changes in Chancellor's Departments 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 HM Treasury (30) 93 84 
			 Debt Management Office 0 (9) 4 
			 Office of Government Commerce (40) 71 (116) 
			 Government Actuary's Department (10) (2) 2 
			 HM Revenue and Customs 700 (5,002) (3,952) 
			 Valuation Office Agency (130) 1 (572) 
			 National Savings and Investments (10) 26 4 
			 Office for National Statistics (260) 165 (291) 
			 Royal Mint 40 145 (153) 
			 Total 260 (4,512) (4,991) 
		
	
	The following table shows the percentage of the total change by country/region.
	
		
			  Change by region and country 
			   Change 1 April 2004 to 1 April 2007 
			  Region/country  Number  Percentage 
			 East Midlands (591) (6) 
			 East of England (881) (10) 
			 London (2,422) (26) 
			 North East (683) (7) 
			 North West (527) (6) 
			 Northern Ireland (174) (2) 
			 Scotland 517 6 
			 South East (2,268) (25) 
			 South West (612) (7) 
			 Wales (213) (2) 
			 West Midlands (739) (8) 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber (962) (10) 
			 Unreported and elsewhere 313 3 
			 All regions (9,342) (100) 
			  Note: A fall in staff numbers shows as a negative (bracketed) figure in the percentage table.

Disabled

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) disabled people and  (b) lone parents of working age there were in each quarter since 1992; and how many and what proportion of these were (i) employed, (ii) unemployed and (iii) economically active in each such quarter.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 4 March 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about how many  (a) disabled people and  (b) lone parents of working age there were in each quarter since 1992; and how many and what proportion of these were (i) employed, (ii) unemployed and (iii) economically active in each such quarter. (191325)
	The attached table gives the estimates of disabled people and lone parents of working age who were employed, unemployed and economically active for the three month period ending June each year 1997 to 2007. Comparable estimates are not available for disabled people prior to 1999 and for lone parents prior to 1997. Estimates are not available for 1998 and 2000 for either category.
	A historical series of lone parent employment rates is published in the 'Work and worklessness among households' First Release, which is available on the National Statistics website: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp? vlnk==8552.
	The LFS estimates at this detailed level are consistent with the UK population estimates published in February and March 2003, whereas those in the Labour Market Statistics First Release are based on more up-to-date population figures.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Disabled people and lone parents of working age in employment, unemployed( 1)  and economically active,  t hree months ending June each year, 1997-2007—United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			  Thousands, except where indicated 
			   Disabled people( 2,3) 
			In Employment  Unemployed  Economically Active 
			  1997  Total  Number  As % of total  Number  As % of total  Number  As % of total 
			 1997 (5)— (5)— (5)— (5)— (5)— (5)— (5)— 
			 1999 6,542 3,022 46 351 5 3,373 52 
			 2001 6,735 3,139 47 281 4 3,420 51 
			 2002 6,876 3,294 48 286 4 3,580 52 
			 2003 6,892 3,362 49 284 4 3,647 53 
			 2004 7,017 3,485 50 263 4 3,748 53 
			 2005 6,998 3,477 50 287 4 3,764 54 
			 2006 7,069 3,537 50 341 5 3,877 55 
			 2007 6,957 3,456 50 334 5 3,790 55 
		
	
	
		
			   Lone Parents ( 2,4) 
			In Employment  Unemployed  Economically Active 
			   Total  Number  As % of total  Number  As % of total  Number  As % of total 
			 1997 1,584 706 45 131 8 837 53 
			 1999 1,726 828 48 149 9 976 57 
			 2001 1,739 893 51 124 7 1,018 59 
			 2002 1,798 958 53 111 6 1,069 59 
			 2003 1,791 947 53 104 6 1,051 5S 
			 2004 1,848 1,001 54 112 6 1,113 60 
			 2005 1,856 1,039 56 103 6 1,142 62 
			 2006 1,829 1,030 56 117 6 1,147 63 
			 2007 1,838 1,049 57 113 6 1,162 63 
			 (1) according to the 110 (International Labour Organisation) definition of unemployed, i.e. those who are without a job, are available to start work in the next two weeks, who want a job and have been seeking a job in the last 4 weeks or are waiting to start a job already obtained. (2) Men aged 16-64 and women aged 16-59 (3) Includes those who have a tong term disability which substantially limits their day-to-day activities and those who have a tong term disability which affects the kind or amount of work they might do. (4 )Working age people with dependent children under 16 and those children aged 16-18 who are never-married and in full-time education. (5 )Comparable estimates are not available for disabled people prior to 1999 and for lone parents prior to 1997. Estimates are not available for 1998 and 2000 for either category.  Source:  ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS)

Duty Free Allowances

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reassess personal allowances for importation of  (a) tobacco products and  (b) alcoholic drinks.

Jane Kennedy: Since the completion of the single market in 1993, persons travelling between EU member states have been able to bring with them unlimited quantities of alcohol and tobacco, provided that the product is bought duty paid in the member state of purchase, is for their own use (including gifts), and is transported by them.
	For travellers entering the UK from a non-EU country, there are limits, which are laid down in EU legislation, on the amount of alcohol and tobacco that can be brought back without paying UK tax or duty. Any changes to these allowances must be agreed unanimously by all 27 EU member states.
	Following a proposal from the European Commission concerning the tax and duty-free allowances for travellers from non-EU countries, EU Finance Ministers agreed unanimously at the Council meeting on 20 December 2007 on the adoption of a directive which, among other things, will increase the still wine allowance from 2 litres to 4 litres and introduce a new allowance for beer of 16 litres. These changes will come into effect from 1 December 2008. No changes have been made to the allowances for other alcohol or tobacco products. It was also agreed that all the allowances would be reviewed every four years.

Foreign Loans: World War Two

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what payments were made to the US in respect of war debt incurred by Britain during and following the second world war, including the  (a) line of credit and  (b) land lease loan in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: World war two repayments were completed on the 29 December 2006. Information on the total interest and capital payments for world war two loans in the last 10 years is as follows:
	
		
			  US$ m illion 
			   USD Lend lease  Line of credit 
			   Capital repayment and interest  Interest on interest repayments  Capital repayment and interest  Interest on interest repayments 
			 1997 18,662,099.35 2,070,876.03 119,336,250.00 13,341,333.95 
			 1998 18,662,099.35 2,070,876.03 119,336,250.00 13,341,333.95 
			 1999 18,662,099.35 2,070,876.03 119,336,250.00 13,341,333.95 
			 2000 18,662,099.35 2,070,876.03 119,402,762.30 13,341,333.95 
			 Total 74,648,397.45 8,283,504.12 477,411,512.30 53,365,335.80 
			  Repayment of deferred capital and annual interest
			 2001 — 19,487,914.32 — 132,677,583.95 
			 2002 — 20,512,512.37 — 130,290,858.95 
			 2003 — 20,112,836.44 — 127,904,133.95 
			 2004 — 19,649,191.17 — 125,517,408.95 
			 2005 — 19,259,957.51 — 123,130,683.95 
			 2006 — 11,455,424.80 — 71,793,156.44 
			 Total — 110,477,836.62 — 711,313,826.19

Foreign Workers

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the number of non-UK born persons in employment in each county of the UK in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 4 March 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on what the most recent estimate is of the number of non-UK born persons in employment in each county of the UK in each of the last five years. (190816)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles statistics on migrant workers for local areas from the Annual Labour Force Survey and the Annual Population Survey (APS). The National Statistics method for estimating the number of migrant workers employed in the UK is routinely based on the number of people at a given time who were born abroad, are of working age (16-64 for men, 16-59 for women) and in employment. This question has been answered on this basis. It means, for example, that some people who are UK nationals will be included in the total of "foreign born" and that people who are working but are above state pension age are not included.
	APS estimates at this detailed level are only available consistent with population estimates published in February and March 2003 and are not comparable with the estimates published in the Labour Market Statistics First Release on 13 February 2008, which are based on latest population estimates.
	The table attached, shows the numbers of working age in employment who were not born in the UK and were resident in each UK county, Unitary Authority and Metropolitan County, during the twelve month periods ending in March for 2005, 2006, 2007 from the APS and, for the 12 month periods ending in February for 2003 and 2004 from the Annual LFS.
	When interpreting these figures, it is important to bear in mind that the APS/LFS are not designed to cover everyone who is present in the UK. The survey may undercount the numbers of people who were born overseas. The reasons are set out in the table footnote.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Number of non-UK born persons in employment in each UK county, unitary authority and metropolitan county 2003-07( 1) 
			  Employment level (thousand) 
			   12 months ending : 
			   February 2003  February 2004  March 2005  March 2006  March 2007 
			 Bedfordshire 15 16 15 20 21 
			 Buckinghamshire 22 27 26 27 30 
			 Cambridgeshire 22 24 30 33 39 
			 Cheshire 13 16 14 14 12 
			 Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly 8 8 9 11 17 
			 Cumbria 6 5 6 6 7 
			 Derbyshire 8 6 9 13 10 
			 Devon 17 15 13 13 18 
			 Dorset 7 8 11 9 8 
			 Durham 5 5 6 5 7 
			 East Sussex 11 11 18 15 17 
			 Essex 34 30 36 39 47 
			 Gloucestershire 18 17 15 17 18 
			 Hampshire 41 47 45 40 53 
			 Hertfordshire 47 47 52 53 71 
			 Kent 39 37 44 43 51 
			 Lancashire 20 20 23 31 32 
			 Leicestershire 14 13 16 18 18 
			 Lincolnshire 9 14 15 17 22 
			 Norfolk 16 16 21 22 25 
			 Northamptonshire 16 17 23 33 28 
			 Northumberland 3 4 4 4 3 
			 North Yorkshire 12 12 13 13 14 
			 Nottinghamshire 14 14 11 13 16 
			 Oxfordshire 28 29 35 39 38 
			 Shropshire 3 5 5 4 6 
			 Somerset 12 14 8 4 10 
			 Staffordshire 9 11 12 11 8 
			 Suffolk 23 20 19 28 22 
			 Surrey 49 55 58 68 74 
			 Warwickshire 19 15 15 14 18 
			 West Sussex 30 31 30 34 41 
			 Wiltshire 13 11 15 14 22 
			 Worcestershire 9 11 12 11 12 
			 Eilean Siar Orkney and Shetland 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Tyne and Wear Met County 15 17 20 23 26 
			 Greater Manchester Met County 64 71 79 87 93 
			 Merseyside Met County 15 16 20 23 32 
			 South Yorkshire Met County 17 22 22 27 35 
			 West Yorkshire Met County 64 72 77 85 89 
			 West Midlands Met County 105 111 119 129 146 
			 Inner London 462 481 480 507 534 
			 Outer London 539 563 613 608 665 
			 Hartlepool UA 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Middlesbrough UA 3 2 3 3 3 
			 Redcar and Cleveland UA 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Stockton-on-Tees UA 3 4 4 4 3 
			 Darlington UA 2 2 2 2 3 
			 Halton UA 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Warrington UA 3 3 3 3 5 
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA 4 6 6 6 7 
			 Blackpool UA 2 1 2 3 3 
			 Kingston upon Hull City of UA 4 3 4 6 6 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA 5 4 4 4 5 
			 North East Lincolnshire UA 2 2 2 2 2 
			 North Lincolnshire UA 3 3 3 4 5 
			 York UA 3 4 4 5 7 
			 Derby UA 8 7 7 11 11 
			 Leicester UA 28 28 32 35 36 
			 Rutland UA 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Nottingham UA 10 8 13 15 17 
			 Herefordshire County of UA 2 3 3 3 4 
			 Telford and Wrekin 4 5 4 4 5 
			 Stoke-on-Trent UA 4 3 3 4 7 
			 Bath and North East Somerset UA 5 6 4 7 9 
			 Bristol City of UA 17 18 19 21 21 
			 North Somerset UA 4 4 5 5 4 
			 South Gloucestershire UA 6 7 6 8 0 
			 Plymouth UA 5 5 4 5 7 
			 Torbay UA 3 3 3 2 3 
			 Bournemouth UA 7 6 7 9 10 
			 Poole UA 3 4 4 5 5 
			 Swindon UA 8 7 9 7 12 
			 Peterborough UA 7 8 10 9 14 
			 Luton UA 18 18 19 21 20 
			 Southend-on-Sea UA 5 6 4 4 6 
			 Thurrock UA 3 4 6 7 9 
			 Medway UA 7 10 9 11 12 
			 Bracknell Forest UA 5 5 6 7 8 
			 West Berkshire UA 7 6 7 7 7 
			 Reading UA 10 10 14 16 19 
			 Slough UA 18 18 18 20 22 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead UA 9 9 11 10 10 
			 Wokingham UA 8 8 8 11 10 
			 Milton Keynes UA 11 12 14 12 17 
			 Brighton and Hove UA 17 17 14 18 19 
			 Portsmouth UA 5 6 7 8 7 
			 Southampton UA 8 9 10 11 11 
			 Isle of Wight UA 2 2 2 2 3 
			 Anglesey Isle of 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Gwynedd 1 1 1 2 2 
			 Conwy 1 1 2 2 2 
			 Denbighshire 1 1 2 1 1 
			 Flintshire 3 2 2 2 3 
			 Wrexham 1 2 2 3 4 
			 Powys 1 1 1 1 2 
			 Ceredigion 1 2 1 1 2 
			 Pembrokeshire 2 2 2 2 3 
			 Carmarthenshire 2 2 2 3 3 
			 Swansea 3 6 4 5 6 
			 Neath Port Talbot 1 1 2 1 1 
			 Bridgend 2 2 2 2 3 
			 Vale of Glamorgan The 2 3 3 3 3 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taff 1 2 3 3 3 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 1 (2)— (2)— 1 1 
			 Caerphilly 2 2 1 2 2 
			 Blaenau Gwent (2)— 1 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Torfaen 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Monmouthshire 2 2 1 2 1 
			 Newport 2 3 4 3 3 
			 Cardiff 14 10 12 11 11 
			 Aberdeen City 5 6 6 7 9 
			 Aberdeenshire 5 3 4 4 5 
			 Angus 1 2 2 2 2 
			 Argyll and Bute 1 1 1 2 2 
			 Scottish Borders The 2 1 1 2 3 
			 Clackmannanshire 1 (2)— (2)— (2)— 1 
			 West Dunbartonshire — 1 1 1 1 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 1 2 2 2 1 
			 Dundee City 2 3 3 3 4 
			 East Ayrshire 1 1 1 1 1 
			 East Dunbartonshire 2 2 2 2 2 
			 East Lothian 1 2 2 2 3 
			 East Renfrewshire 1 2 2 2 2 
			 Edinburgh City of 17 23 24 24 30 
			 Falkirk 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Fife 6 7 7 10 6 
			 City of Glasgow 11 16 14 18 21 
			 Highland 2 4 3 4 5 
			 Inverclyde — 2 2 1 1 
			 Midlothian 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Moray 1 1 2 2 3 
			 North Ayrshire 2 1 2 2 1 
			 North Lanarkshire 2 3 3 3 4 
			 Orkney Islands 1 (2)— — — — 
			 Perth and Kinross 4 3 3 3 3 
			 Renfrewshire 3 3 3 2 3 
			 Shetland Islands — 1 — — — 
			 South Ayrshire 2 1 2 1 2 
			 South Lanarkshire 2 2 4 5 6 
			 Stirling — 2 2 2 3 
			 West Lothian 1 2 4 5 6 
			 Northern Ireland(3) 26 27 33 32 46 
			 '—' Data not available (1) Does not include respondents who did not answer the question on country of birth. (2) Less than 500 (3) Breakdowns for Northern Ireland are not available at county level.  Notes: 1. Estimates are subject to sampling variability. 2. It should also be noted that the country of birth question in the APS gives an undercount because: it excludes certain people who have been resident in the UK for less than six months. it excludes students in halls who do not have a UK resident parent. it excludes people in most other types of communal establishments (eg hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites, etc.).  it is grossed to population estimates which exclude migrants staying for less than 12 months. microdata are grossed to population estimates consistent with those published in spring 2003 which are significantly lower than the latest population estimates.  Source: Annual Labour Force Survey/Annual Population Survey

Gold

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much gold bullion the Government sold in each of the last 15 years; and what the average sum received per kilogram was in each year.

Angela Eagle: 395 tonnes of gold were sold from the reserves between July 1999 and March 2002. The Government have not conducted an official gold sales programme since 2002. However the physical stock of gold may change for a number of reasons, including sales of small amounts of gold sovereigns by the Royal Mint; and transaction costs incurred in gold lending and swaps. Data on the physical stock of gold and its current value is available on the Bank of England website:
	http //213_225.136_206/statistics/reserves/Tempoutput.xls
	Table 1 details average amounts received annually from the official gold sales programme.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Tonnes sold  Weighted average $/ounce 
			 July to December 1999 75 270 
			 January to December 2000 150 277 
			 January to December 2001 130 270 
			 January to March 2002 40 290 
			 Total 395 275 
			  Note: That gold is priced per troy ounce, rather than per kilogram. One metric tonne is equivalent to 32,150 troy ounces.

Government Departments: Property

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2133W, on Government departments: property, what his definition is of  (a) actual,  (b) future and  (c) potential vacant space.

Angela Eagle: The definitions are as follows:
	 (a) Actual vacant space that is available now
	 (b) Future vacant space that is planned to be available at a specific date in the future
	 (c) Potential vacant space that might become available in the future, but for which no specific date has been identified.

Hacking

James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the use of a hacking tool or other malicious software enabling information to be  (a) retrieved and  (b) manipulated by a third party has been detected on a (i) network and (ii) computer in (A) his Department and (B) HM Revenue and Customs.

Angela Eagle: It is not in the interests of the UK's national security for Departments to confirm whether they hold information about attacks against their IT systems. This would enable individuals to deduce how successful the UK is in detecting these attacks and so assist such persons in testing the effectiveness of the UK's IT defences. This is not in the public interest.

Import Duties: Motor Vehicles

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many vehicles were seized on entry to the UK for exceeding importation allowances in the last five years; what proportion of such vehicles was  (a) not owned by one of those occupying the vehicle at the point of seizure and  (b) returned to the owner after seizure; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available.

Income Tax: Wirral

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of residents of Wirral West constituency paid the higher rate of income tax in each of the last two years for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The number of individual income taxpayers by constituency can be found in table 3.15 "Income and tax by Parliamentary Constituency" on HM Revenue and Customs' website.
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm#315
	Estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes, of which 2005-06 is the latest available.
	Information on the number of higher rate taxpayers at constituency level is not readily available. Sample sizes at constituency level are small and estimates can demonstrate a large variability from year to year, therefore any inference from the information in table 3.15 should take into account the confidence intervals in table 3.15a "Income and tax by Parliamentary Constituency, Confidence Intervals".

Life Expectancy

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate  (a) the Government Actuary and  (b) his Department has made of the impact on longevity of percentage changes, in the winter or summer mean temperature.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 4 March 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question regarding what estimate has been made of the impact on longevity of a percentage change, up or down, in the winter or summer mean temperature. (190820)
	There have been a number of studies of the short-term effects on mortality of summer heatwaves and the intensity and duration of cold spells in winter. However there is no consensus on what impact such seasonal variation has on average longevity, or how a change in mean temperature would impact on mortality.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 29 January, transferred from the Ministry of Justice (PO reference: 7/15515/2008), on the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 3 March 2008
	I have replied to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 3 January, about the abolition of the 10 per cent. tax band for pensioners (PO reference: 1/53530/2008).

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 3 March 2008
	 I replied to the hon. Member on 28 February.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many replies to hon. Members' correspondence on constituency cases from the Preston tax credit office were signed by the Director of that office in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 3 March 2008
	 HM Revenue and Customs does not keep the statistical information requested by my hon. Friend.

National Insurance Contributions: Foreign Workers

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many national insurance numbers issued under the Foreign Worker Registration Scheme have no contributions credited to them.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer  29 February 2008
	The information is not available. There is no requirement for a person to register with the Worker Registration scheme before applying for a national insurance number (NINO), and the national insurance recording system does not record whether an individual has registered with the Worker Registration scheme.

National Insurance: Personal Records

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have had their national insurance records lost during the last 12 months; what his policy is on paying benefits and pensions to those people; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 3 March 2008
	National insurance records are held under an individual's national insurance number on the National Insurance Recording System. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs has no record of lost national insurance records during the last 12 months.

Natural Gas: Prices

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what market price of gas was assumed in his Department's modelling of corporation tax revenues from the UK's oil and gas fields for the Budget Statement 2007 and Pre-Budget Statement 2007 projections.

Jane Kennedy: The projections for gas prices, used in the North sea revenues forecast take into account the spot price for gas, long-term contract prices, futures prices and the expected movement in sterling oil prices.
	Gas prices will thus vary on a field by field basis.

Northern Rock

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the obligations of Northern Rock to repurchase mortgages under certain circumstances in accordance with the documentation for the Granite securitisation programme are covered by a Treasury guarantee.

Angela Eagle: As set out in HM Treasury's announcement of 18 December 2007, the guarantee arrangements for Northern Rock cover all obligations of Northern Rock plc to make payments on the repurchase of mortgages under the documentation for the "Granite" securitisation programme.

Northern Rock

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of Northern Rock's total mortgage assets are contained in the Granite Master Trust.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 25 February 2008
	Information on the value of mortgage assets contained in the Granite Master Trust is set out in investor reports on Granite, which are available on the Northern Rock website. Northern Rock's financial statements are also available on its website. Northern Rock's annual report for 2007 will be published by the end of March 2008.

Prostate Cancer

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the standardised mortality rate from prostate cancer was in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) Government office region and  (b) parliamentary constituency.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 4 March 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the standardised mortality rate from prostate cancer was in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) Government Office region and  (b) parliamentary constituency. (191553)
	The tables attached provide the age-standardised mortality rate per 100,000 population, where prostate cancer was the underlying cause of death, for  (a) Government Office regions and Wales, from 1997 to 2006 (the latest year available) (Table 1) and  (b) parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales, for the years 2001 to 2005 combined (the only period available) (Table 2). A copy of Table 2 has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Revenue and Customs

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) of 24 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1626, on HM Revenue and Customs, for what categories of individuals security is a higher priority; and how many people there are in each category.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC applies high standards of confidentiality and security to all customer data. It would not be in the public interest, and could put individuals at personal risk, to disclose information about the categories of individuals in relation to whose records HMRC provides additional safeguards.

Revenue and Customs

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) of 24 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1626, on HM Revenue and Customs, which Minister authorised the practice of according a higher priority to the security of some categories of individual.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC applies high standards of confidentiality and security to all customer data. The provision of additiona1 safeguards, within HMRC, in respect of data relating to certain categories of individuals is an operational matter for HM Revenue and Customs.

Self-Employed Contributions

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many self-employed people were late in registering their national insurance contributions with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in each of the last five years; how many of those  (a) received and  (b) were given an exemption from paying a fine; and what the reason for granting an exemption was in each case.

Jane Kennedy: The numbers of individuals registering late as self employed for national insurance for the last five complete tax years are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2002-03 83,259 
			 2003-04 94,155 
			 2004-05 100,357 
			 2005-06 86,967 
			 2006-07 71,828 
		
	
	Data on the number of £100 penalties issued for full tax years prior to 2005-06 is not held but HMRC can confirm the numbers for
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005-06 25,324 
			 2006-07 23,580 
		
	
	The information regarding the reasons for exemption from fines is not available. Common reasons for the penalty not being applied or subsequently being removed include where the earnings in the period of non-registration are within the Small Earnings Exception level, where the individual has advised some part of HMRC of their trading activities or where the individual can demonstrate a reasonable excuse for the delay in notifying.

Smuggling

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) mode,  (b) median and  (c) mean proportion by which goods confiscated from vehicles seized on entry to the UK exceeded permitted allowances was in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: Centrally held records do not provide the breakdown required.

Suicide: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many suicides there were in Peterborough constituency in each of the last 10 years, broken down by  (a) age,  (b) sex and  (c) ethnic origin.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 4 March 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many suicides there were in Peterborough constituency in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (a) age, (b) sex, and (c) ethnic origin. (190008)
	The tables attached provide the number of deaths where suicide was the underlying cause of death, by (a) age and (b) sex in Peterborough constituency, for 1997 to 2006 (the latest year available). Figures on suicides by ethnic group are not available, as ethnicity is not recorded at death registration.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths where suicide was the underlying cause of death, Peterborough constituency( 1) , by age-group( 2) ,1997-2006( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Age group 
			   15-44  45-74  75+ 
			 1997 6 5 0 
			 1998 4 7 2 
			 1999 3 1 1 
			 2000 7 3 0 
			 2001 9 5 0 
			 2002 8 5 3 
			 2003 3 6 0 
			 2004 5 9 1 
			 2005 5 2 0 
			 2006 6 2 2 
			 (1) Suicide was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes E950-E959 and E980-E989, excluding E988.8 for the year 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X60-X84 and Y10-Y34, excluding Y33.9 (where the Coroner's verdict was pending) for the years 2001 to 2006. (2) Suicide and undetermined intent deaths have not been included for children under the age of 15 years. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of deaths where suicide was the underlying cause of death, Peterborough constituency( 1) , ( 2)  by sex, 1997-2006( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Male  Female 
			 1997 8 3 
			 1998 4 9 
			 1999 3 2 
			 2000 8 2 
			 2001 9 5 
			 2002 11 5 
			 2003 7 2 
			 2004 10 5 
			 2005 5 2 
			 2006 6 4 
			 (1 )Suicide was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes E950-E959 and E980-E989, excluding E988.8 for the years 1997 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X60-X84 and Y10-Y34, excluding Y33.9 (where the Coroner's verdict was pending) for the years 2001 to 2006. (2 )Suicide and undetermined intent deaths have not been included for children under the age of 15 years. (3 )Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Taxation and Income

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in each parliamentary constituency in  (a) Cornwall and  (b) inner London declared an income of (i) between £5,645 and £16,505 and (ii) over £39,400 for tax purposes in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The number of individual income taxpayers by constituency can be found in table 3.15 "Income and tax by Parliamentary Constituency" on HM Revenue and Customs' website.
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm#315
	Estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes, of which 2005-06 is the latest available.
	A breakdown by level of income at constituency level is not readily available. Sample sizes at constituency level are small and estimates can demonstrate a large variability from year to year, therefore any inference from the information in table 3.15 should take into account the confidence intervals in table 3.15a "Income and tax by Parliamentary Constituency, Confidence Intervals".

Taxation: Alcoholic Drinks

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make taxation of alcoholic products proportionate to the amount of alcohol in the product.

Angela Eagle: Decisions on the appropriate levels of excise duty are made on a Budget-by-Budget basis, taking into account all relevant factors. These include the particular circumstances of the industry concerned and the Government's spending priorities.

Taxation: Domicile

Hugo Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of  (a) the House of Commons and  (b) the House of Lords are registered as non-domiciled for tax purposes.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC are under a statutory duty not to disclose the tax affairs of individuals.

Taxation: Pay

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the maximum weekly amount of cash is that an employee may receive from his or her employer for expenses undertaken in the course of their duties, but without provision of receipts proving that the payments were so undertaken, before HM Revenue and Customs treats the payment as taxable; and whether there are any exceptions to this rule.

Jane Kennedy: There are no set financial limits governing the provision of receipts to show that expenditure qualifies for tax relief. However, HMRC would expect employees to be able to provide appropriate evidence that they have incurred allowable expenditure.

Taxation: Personal Records

John Gummer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the policy of his Department is in relation to people suspected of the theft of information about taxpayers from the Government.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC takes the security and confidentiality of all information it holds in connection with its functions extremely seriously.
	If HMRC were to become aware of an alleged theft of information about taxpayers the Commissioners would investigate the matter in conjunction with the relevant authorities.

Taxation: Second Homes

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on Exchequer revenue in 2007-08 of cancellation of the benefit in kind rule on company-owned second homes abroad; and whether any repayments have been made of tax previously collected under this rule.

Jane Kennedy: The estimated effect on Exchequer revenue in 2007-08 of cancellation of the benefit in kind charge on company-owned second homes abroad is negligible. No repayments have been made of tax previously collected under this rule.

Taxation: Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether trades union subscriptions paid through payroll-giving are deducted from  (a) pre-tax or  (b) post-tax income under HM Revenue and Customs rules.

Jane Kennedy: Trade union subscriptions paid from salary are deducted from post-tax income unless they relate to one of the organisations for which tax relief on fees paid to them can be claimed under section 344 Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003. Where tax relief is due it is normally given through the employee's tax code.

VAT: Bingo

Lorely Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid by the licensed bingo industry in value-added tax in 2007.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs does not collect data on the amount of VAT paid on individual goods and services.

VAT: Sunscreens

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reclassify suncare products as essential healthcare items for value-added tax purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The VAT treatment of suncare products is no different from the VAT treatment of other healthcare products. VAT is not charged on certain healthcare and suncare products when dispensed by a pharmacist on the prescription of a registered doctor. When otherwise supplied by retail sale they are chargeable with VAT at the standard rate.

Wealth

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commission research to determine the extent to which wealth created over the last 10 years is sustainable.

Jane Kennedy: The Government carries out and commissions research on a range of wealth and related issues. Examples include HM Revenue and Customs National Statistics on Personal Wealth and the Department for Work and Pensions Family Resources Survey. The Wealth and Assets Survey, to be published by the Office for National Statistics in 2009, will also enhance understanding of the accumulation and distribution of wealth across Great Britain. Interim findings from this survey were published in January 2008.

Welfare Tax Credits: Internet

James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to re-establish the tax credits website.

Jane Kennedy: The tax credits e-portal will be reopened only when the necessary security checks are in place. HMRC is developing an identity authentication service to provide the capability to securely transact with customers.

Wines

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on wine in each of the last three years.

Angela Eagle: Spending on wine is not separately identified within our accounting system so cannot be disaggregated from official. Entertainment spending without incurring disproportionate costs. For details of official entertainment spending I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the then Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Healey) on 15 May 2007,  Official Report, column 689W, to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell).

Winter Fuel Payments

David Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give consideration to increasing the winter fuel allowance for pensioners in preparing for the forthcoming Budget.

Angela Eagle: The Government keeps all tax rates and benefit payments under review as part of the Budget process.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government has taken to tackle binge drinking while protecting consumer rights.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 29 February 2008
	The Licensing Act 2003, which came into effect in November 2005, aimed to provide a balanced package of freedoms and safeguards. It has an important role in the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance perpetrated by a minority while giving the responsible majority more freedom and choice about how they spend their leisure time.

Bingo: Closures

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will visit a bingo club in Castle Point constituency to discuss the effects of bingo club closures on  (a) social cohesion and  (b) quality of life for local residents; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My right hon. Friend is grateful for the invitation, which has been passed to me as the responsible Minister. I have visited a bingo club in my own constituency and fully recognise that bingo clubs provide a unique social network in many communities. My officials are in close dialogue with the Bingo Association to see whether there are any measures we may take to help bingo through the difficulties which the sector appears to be experiencing. I hope to be able to make an announcement shortly.

Capita

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1168W, on Capita, what travel services Capita provides for flights.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Capita Business Travel provides a flight ticket booking service for the Department, which was procured through the Office of Government Commerce Buying Solutions framework agreement.

Casinos: Licensing

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many casinos in England are licensed to operate 24 hours a day.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 3 March 2008
	 Under the Gambling Act 2005 (Mandatory and Default Conditions) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007, default conditions attaching to casino premises licences state that no facilities for gambling shall be provided on the premises between the hours of 6 am and noon on any day.
	Casino operators can apply to their licensing authority for an extension to these hours. This is a matter for individual licensing authorities to determine. Information on the number of casinos which operate for 24 hours a day is not collated centrally.

Climbing

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he next plans to meet the British Mountaineering Council to discuss Government support for mountaineering.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Secretary of State has no immediate plans to meet the British Mountaineering Council.

Cultural Services Improvement Unit: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding  (a) his Department,  (b) the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council,  (c) English Heritage,  (d) the Arts Council and  (e) Sport England provided for the Cultural Services Improvement Unit at the Improvement and Development Agency in each of the last three years; and what plans there are for continuation of funding from each body in the next three financial years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department and its NDPBs are currently reviewing their work programmes and have yet to agree the level of funding they will provide to the Improvement and Development Agency in future.
	The total funding provided by the Department and its NDPBs to the Cultural Services Improvement Unit at the Improvement and Development Agency over the last three years is £830,000. A full breakdown of this follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Funder  2005-06 year 1  2006-07 year 2  2007-08 year 3 
			 DCMS 20,000 20,000 20,000 
			 Sport England 85,000 85,000 85,000 
			 Arts Council England 50,000 50,000 90,000 
			 Museums Libraries and Archives Council 80,000 80,000 120,000 
			 English Heritage 15,000 15,000 15,000 
			 Total 250,000 250,000 330,000

Departmental Transportation Programme

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department's transformation programme has cost to date; how much the two all-staff conferences to discuss the transformation programme cost; how many consultants have been employed to work on the transformation programme; which consultancy companies have been involved in the programme; and how much has been paid to each such consultancy to date.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Costs associated with the DCMS transformation programme from April 2007 to date are as follows:
	
		
			   Cost (£) 
			 Staff costs of the change team (civil servants) 125,000 
			 October 2007 and February 2008 staff conferences held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall 42,906 
			   
			  Consultants engaged to provide expert facilitation and advice:  
			 McKinsey and Company 18,500 
			 Stanton Marris 12,400 
			 Deloitte 25,206

Departmental Equality

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of the duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DCMS officials have completed their review of the action taken by the Department to meet the disability equality duty and drafted an annual report for publication. The report will be published as soon as it is approved by Ministers.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) press and  (b) communications officers his Department and its agencies employed in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The number of press officers employed by the Department in each of the last five years is:
	
		
			   Press officers 
			 2003-04 10 
			 2004-05 9 
			 2005-06 (1)13 
			 2006-07 (1)13 
			 2007-08 (1)10 
			 (1) This includes press officers working on the Olympics. 
		
	
	The Department does not have a "communication officer" grade. The "White Book" of contacts in Government Departments and Agencies contains listings for the Department and the book is updated twice yearly.
	The Department has only one Agency, the Royal Parks Agency. The number of officers employed in the Royal Parks Agency is:
	
		
			   Press officers  Communications officers 
			 2003-04 0 1 
			 2004-05 0 1 
			 2005-06 1 1 
			 2006-07 1 1 
			 2007-08 1 1

Departmental Written Questions

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many written parliamentary questions have been tabled for answer by his Department in Session 2007-08; and what the average number of days taken to answer them has been.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The number of written parliamentary questions tabled for answer by my Department this Session is 903. This figure includes those written parliamentary questions tabled to the Minister for the Olympics.
	Information on the average number of days taken to answer them is not readily available in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of parliamentary questions for answer on a named day to his Department received a  (a) holding and  (b) substantive answer on the named day in each year since 2001.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DCMS aims to ensure that hon. Members receive a substantive response to their named day question on the named day. Unfortunately, this is not always possible but this Department makes every effort to meet this timescale. The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Named day parliamentary questions 
			   (a) Received holding answer  (b) Received substantive answer on named day 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 2002 288 52.9 256 47.1 
			 2003 63 42.6 85 57.4 
			 2004 57 29.2 138 70.8 
			 2005 126 44.5 157 55.5 
			 2006 126 28.6 315 71.4 
			 2007(1) 227 47.2 254 52.8 
			 (1) Includes named day questions answered by the Minister for the Olympics since June 2007  Source: Information derived from the DCMS parliamentary questions database.

Gambling: Internet

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what arrangements there are to prevent children under the age of 18 years using internet gambling sites; and if he will bring forward proposals for users to prove their age before accessing those sites.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Operators of internet gambling sites which are licensed by the Gambling Commission must comply with tough social responsibility measures to prevent underage gambling. These measures include procedures requiring customers to affirm they are of legal age, warning customers that underage gambling is an offence and requiring gambling websites to permit filtering software so that parents can restrict access to those sites.
	All remote operators are required to complete age verification checks for customers that register to gamble using a debit card or other means of electronic payment other than a credit card, which are not generally available to under 18s. In addition, customers are not permitted to withdraw winnings until satisfactory age verification checks have been completed.
	For credit card users, there are separate provisions which require operators to carry out a programme of random checks to ensure compliance with age restrictions.
	If operators fail to comply with these requirements they are subject to regulatory action from the Gambling Commission.
	For websites in other jurisdictions that are not licensed by the Gambling Commission, operators will be subject to the age verification measures required by the relevant jurisdiction.

Gambling: Internet

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many internet gambling companies are registered in the UK.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Gambling Commission has issued (as of 1 February) a total of 144 remote operating licences allowing companies to operate on-line gambling sites from Great Britain.

Gambling: Internet

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what European legislation governs provision of internet gambling services based in one member state to people in another member state.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The EC Treaty applies to the provision of internet gambling services between member states. There is no secondary EU legislation in this area as the directive on electronic commerce (2000/31/EC) and the directive on services in the internal market (2006/123/EC) both exclude gambling activities.

Gaming Machines

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will commission research into the impact on small seaside town businesses of restricting the number of fruit machines to four per venue and halving the minimum stake for the £500 jackpot.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 3 March 2008
	 The Gambling Act, which came into force on 1 September 2007, introduced a range of measures designed to assist the gaming machine industry. For the first time adult gaming centres can offer up to four category B3 machines with a £1 stake and a £500 prize.
	The Government have asked the Gambling Commission to prioritise its research into the impact of high stake, high prize gaming machines.
	Research into arcades based in small seaside towns would have little value since adult gaming centres are based in a wide range of locations across the country.

Members: Correspondence

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he will reply to the letter of 21 January from the hon. Member for Warrington North on the Orford Park project.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A reply to the letter of 21 January from my hon. Friend will be sent as soon as possible.

Mineral Waters

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many litres of bottled water were purchased by his Department in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department purchased 19,558 litres of bottled water during April 2006 to March 2007.

National Lottery: Grants

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding the National Lottery Commission received from  (a) the National Lottery Distribution Fund and  (b) the Olympic Lottery Distribution Fund in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The sums deducted from each fund in respect of the National Lottery Commission's expenses are given in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   National lottery distribution fund  Olympic lottery distribution fund 
			 2006-07 8,047,000 700,000 
			 2005-06 7,291,000 0 
			 2004-05 4,401,000 — 
			 2003-04 3,765,000 — 
			 2002-03 2,342,000 — 
		
	
	These figures are taken from the National Lottery Distribution Fund and Olympic Lottery Distribution Fund accounts. The significant increase in the last two financial years is attributable mainly to the Commission's work on the preparation and running of the competition for the third licence to run the national lottery.

Sport England: Grants

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding Sport England provided for each sport in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2007-08.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The funding provided for each sport by Sport England is as follows:
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  Sport  Lottery  Exchequer  Lottery  Exchequer  Lottery  Exchequer( 1) 
			 American Football 30,363 — — — — — 
			 Angling — 185,000 184,999 68,379 821,499 — 
			 Archery — 15,000 — 15,000 632,044 — 
			 Arm Wrestling 90,000 — — — — — 
			 Athletics 5,768,742 1,127,000 6,567,809 367,000 10,086,870 — 
			 Australian Rules 269,353 — — — 490,910 — 
			 Badminton 5,480,117 951,069 7,775,365 352,610 3,102,171 — 
			 Baseball 2,169,000 — 740,000 — 801,500 — 
			 Basketball 1,464,953 230,309 1,376,555 925,709 3,334,231 — 
			 Bobsleigh 9,400 — 28,200 — — — 
			 Boccia — — — — 15,000 — 
			 Bowls 250,000 — 5,600 — 461,819 — 
			 Boxing 963,528 — 1,630,200 18,429 315,000 — 
			 Canoeing 1,574,500 325,971 1,883,500 950,262 4,268,556 — 
			 Caving — 5,000 — 2,500 — — 
			 Cricket 6,012,050 4,915,210 11,794,853 5,429,539 3,458,203 — 
			 Cycling 3,643,116 185,276 4,294,333 1,225,101 815,987 — 
			 Disability Sports 343,254 1,050,000 87,279 1,477,366 621,903 — 
			 Equestrian 1,000,000 35,000 906,000 35,000 1,405,200 — 
			 Exercise and Fitness 3,578,154 — 520,008 — 210,366 — 
			 Fencing 82,347 50,000 — 30,000 — — 
			 Football 21,835,741 5,442,019 6,504,881 24,049,699 1,437,926 — 
			 Golf 2,000,000 149,000 6,049,792 424,000 1,718,940 — 
			 Gymnastics 2,467,591 814,566 1,962,583 377,000 2,882,351 — 
			 Handball — 7,000 — 3,500 — — 
			 Hang Gliding 22.858 — — — — — 
			 Hockey 2,505,223 619,246 3,130,000 618,066 432,548 — 
			 Ice Hockey — — — — 62,000 — 
			 Ice Skating 86,875 25,000 — 25,000 51,281 — 
			 Judo 3,932,706 826,496 680,000 1,826,725 1,362,190 — 
			 Karate 450,000 — 250,000 — — — 
			 Korfball — — — — 125,000 — 
			 Lacrosse 840,000 289,333 — 17,000 487,000 — 
			 Lifesaving — 7,000 — 3,500 600,000 — 
			 Modern Pentathlon 585,000 — 444,000 — — — 
			 Mountaineering 200,000 170,000 600,000 5,000 180,000 — 
			 Movement and Dance 833,280 25,500 168,000 22,000 410,000 — 
			 Multi Sports(2) 38,555,126 29,264,271 25,254,071 34,365,117 23,509,803 — 
			 Netball 6,172,555 408,327 8,277,702 1,156,445 1,917,592 — 
			 Orienteering 285,630 135,000 375,000 45,000 725,980 — 
			 Petanque — 5,000 — — — — 
			 Rackets — — — — 75,000 — 
			 Rambling 1,168,788 — 73,662 — 10,532 — 
			 Real Tennis — 6,000 — 3,000 — — 
			 Roller Skating 16,362 — — — — — 
			 Rounders — 100,000 300,000 — 110,000 — 
			 Rowing 3,229,292 464,077 2,660,626 972,050 2,010,875 — 
			 Rugby League 3,274,067 158,096 7,050,000 2,837,963 2,041,501 — 
			 Rugby Union 4,184,155 3,029,564 4,577,969 4,128,932 2,883,152 — 
			 Sailing 2,698,588 75,000 3,141,500 158,462 1,772,937 — 
			 Shooting 96,000 6,500 — — 343,000 — 
			 Skateboarding 716,945 — 148,024 — 100,327 — 
			 Skiing 41,900 160,333 — 89,964 — — 
			 Skipping — — — — 150,000 — 
			 Sport Participation and Capacity 1,808,467 — 949,189 — 239,487 — 
			 Squash 1,525,000 146,000 4,500,000 423,153 1,297,000 — 
			 Surfing — — — — 126,743 — 
			 Swimming 11,801,663 701,000 6,640,736 947,891 6,138,632 — 
			 Table Tennis 3,671,150 222,426 466,673 1,448,778 1,688,600 — 
			 Taekwondon 30,000 — — — — — 
			 Tennis 9,376,313 4,786,032 37,000 5,239,915 234,400 — 
			 Trampolining — 17,648 80,000 495,160 — — 
			 Tug of War — 3,250 — 1,500 — — 
			 Triathlon 801,250 75,000 1,709,400 15,000 1,134,764 — 
			 Volleyball — 417,917 1,370,418 108,000 1,268,865 — 
			 Water Skiing 140,000 35,000 525,000 — — — 
			 Wrestling 54,628 10,000 — 5,000 125,040 — 
			 Yoga 456,110 — 500,000 — 980,000 — 
			 (1) Details of Exchequer funding for 2007-08 will not be available until the end of the financial year. (2) Multi sport funding is given to an organisation representing a number of sporting activities rather than one individual sport.  Note: Awards made for a number of years are only shown in the year the award was first made.

Sports

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2008,  Official Report, column 716W, on sports, how many people each percentage figure in the tables represents.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2008,  Official Report, column 716W, the table shows how many people each percentage figure represents, rounded to the nearest 10,000. The data are taken from the DCMS Taking Part Survey.
	The active sport indicator is defined as at least one occasion of participation in an active sport during the past four weeks.
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07 
			  Active sport (12 times a year)  Percentage  Thousand  Percentage  Thousand 
			 North East 51.9 1,030 53.9 1,090 
			 North West 49.5 2,640 48.5 2,610 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 50.3 2,000 52.7 2,130 
			 East Midlands 55.2 1,880 55.7 1,920 
			 West Midlands 50.8 2,130 50.2 2,100 
			 East of England 56.9 2,500 55.4 2,430 
			 London 54.9 3,220 51.9 3,060 
			 South East 57.6 3,760 58.1 3,760 
			 South West 53.8 2,180 54.2 2,210 
			 England 53.7 21,330 58.4 21,310

Sports: Expenditure

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much capital expenditure was allocated to evening sports clubs for young people in Bexley in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Funding is allocated by DCMS for capital projects throughout England, but no records are kept by DCMS or funding distributors (NDPBs) on what purpose building projects that benefit from this funding are used for. It is therefore not possible to provide an answer to this question.

Wembley Stadium: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on Wembley Stadium in each of the last 10 years; and what outstanding financial commitments it has relating to the stadium in each of the next three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The overall public sector contribution to the Wembley Stadium project is £161 million, broken down as: £120 million from Sport England Lottery Funding; £21 million from the London Development Agency; and £20 million from DCMS towards the cost of non-stadium infrastructure works.
	DCMS spend in each financial year against the £20 million contribution is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 Pre 2004-05 0 
			 2004-05 10,044,999 
			 2005-06 3,610,088 
			 2006-07 5,588,085 
			 2007-08 0 
			 2008-09(1) 756,828 
			 Total 20,000,000 
			 (1) Anticipated.

DEFENCE

Advertising

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 963-64W, on advertising, if he will break down the figures by advertising campaign.

Bob Ainsworth: A detailed breakdown of armed forces recruitment advertising costs relating to specific campaigns is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Financial year 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Naval service 
			 Press advertising 0.333 0.213 0.157 0.172 
			 TV 0.399 3.136 2.952 1.529 
			 Cinema 1.600 0.641 — 0.481 
			 Radio 1.330 1.475 0.689 — 
			 Posters/leaflets 0.464 0.055 0.057 — 
			 Internet 0.257 0.445 0.257 1.741 
			 Regional/local — — 1.076 0.496 
			 Total 4.383 5.965 5.188 4.419 
			  
			  Army 
			 Press advertising 0.379 0.620 1.443 0.723 
			 TV 4.138 10.407 10.896 6.877 
			 Cinema — 0.060 — — 
			 Radio — — 1.501 0.695 
			 Internet — — 0.143 0.143 
			 Outdoor — — 0.735 0.735 
			 Other 0.029 — 1.017 0.956 
			 Total 4.546 11.087 15.735 10.129 
			  
			  Royal Air Force 
			 Press advertising 0.350 0.308 0.221 0.725 
			 TV 1.780 1.718 1.362 1.468 
			 Cinema — — — — 
			 Radio 0.560 0.195 0.206 0.465 
			 Internet 0.202 0.229 0.251 0.635 
			 Other 0.238 0.518 (1)-0.084 1.051 
			 Total 3.130 2.968 1.956 4.344 
			 (1) Rebate from Central Office of Information 
		
	
	A breakdown of Veterans Awareness advertising costs is as follows:
	
		
			   Financial year (£) 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 BT telephone directory space for war pension welfare offices 15,472 34,619 31,676 28,773 
			 Newcastle regional campaign — — 11,583.84 — 
			 Birmingham regional campaign — — — 16,999.90 
			 Portsmouth regional campaign — — — 13,939.04 
			 Other advertising costs — — 3,400.87 3,258.13 
			 Total 15,472 36,619 46,660.71 62,970.07

Afghanistan: Armed Forces

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) size and  (b) capability is of the (i) Afghan National Army and (ii) Afghan National Police.

Des Browne: The Afghan National Army (ANA) has approximately 50,000 soldiers trained, equipped and deployed. It is capable of both joint combat operations alongside the international forces deployed in Afghanistan, and company level independent operations—as demonstrated in the recapture of Musa Qaleh.
	The Afghan National Police (ANP) is currently over 74,000 strong, but its level of capability is lower than in the ANA. Both the ANA and ANP require further training and mentoring to enable them to operate more effectively.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the security situation in Kabul.

Des Browne: Although the number of violent incidents occurring in Kabul increased from 2006 to 2007, it remains low relative to the provinces in the south and east where the insurgency is stronger. However, the proportion of incidents in Kabul involving suicide attacks has increased markedly over the past 12 months.

Aircraft Carriers: Contracts

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) long lead items and  (b) other contracts have been let by (i) his Department and (ii) the Aircraft Carrier Alliance and its constituent companies in relation to the aircraft carrier/CVF programme.

Des Browne: Since my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 865, our intention to place orders for two aircraft carriers the Department has authorised the companies forming the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA) to let contracts in support of manufacture as follows:
	
		
			   Item 
			 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system Blown Fibre Optical Cable Plant (BFOCP) 
			 Integrated Navigation and Bridge System (INBS) Long Range Radar (LRR) antennae 
			 Davits for ships' boats Portable lifting equipment 
			 Replenishment at Sea (RAS) Liquid Windlass and capstans 
			 Main diesel generators Emergency diesel generators 
			 Steel Propulsion motors 
			 Propulsion converters Propulsion motor bearings 
			 Gas Turbine Alternator (GTA) rotors GTA Enclosures (Cabinets) 
			 Castings for ships' rudders Steering gear machinery and controls 
			 Forgings for ships' stabilisers Forgings for ships' shaftlines 
			 Low-voltage switchboards, electrical distribution cabinets and transformers Flying Control (FLYCO) rooms 
			 Visual Landing Aids (VLAs) Aviation fuel systems equipment 
			 Civil works at Rosyth dockyard Reverse Osmosis equipment 
		
	
	The companies have also let numerous minor works and service contracts.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK service personnel were deployed on operations on the most recent date for which figures are available, broken down by location.

Bob Ainsworth: The following table shows the number of UK Service personnel deployed on operations by location at 18 February 2008. The number of personnel in theatre will naturally fluctuate on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including leave (rest and recuperation), temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces and other factors.
	
		
			  Number of personnel deployed by location( 1) 
			  Location  Number 
			 Total 13,300 
			  of which:  
			 Afghanistan 7,100 
			 Iraq 4,100 
			 At Sea 600 
			 Qatar 410 
			 Cyprus 280 
			 Kuwait 380 
			 Oman 190 
			 Kosovo 120 
			 Bahrain 60 
			 Bosnia 10 
			 Other 30 
			 (1) Countries with 10 or more personnel are shown separately. Other countries with fewer than 10 personnel per country include Georgia, Nepal, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Government will contribute to the Help for Heroes appeal to build a new gymnasium and fitness pool for injured military personnel at the Headley Court Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 26 February 2008
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1025W. We are continuing to work closely with the charity on this project.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel in the  (a) Army,  (b) Royal Navy and  (c) Royal Air Force are involved in recruitment; and whether these figures meet the manning requirement.

Derek Twigg: All armed forces personnel, either directly or indirectly, have a recruiting role. Nevertheless, the numbers of Naval Service and Royal Air Force personnel primarily involved in managing or delivering the regular service recruiting process are as follows:
	Naval Service: 339, against an establishment of 356;
	Royal Air Force: 324, against an establishment of 348.
	Details of the numbers of Army personnel primarily involved in recruitment activities are not readily available and I will write to the hon. Member with the details in due course.
	The numbers primarily engaged in recruiting activities is regularly reviewed against requirement with adjustments being made to reflect priorities.
	 Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Nick Harvey:
	Derek Twigg undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 7 February 2008 (Official Report, column 1487W) about the number of Army Personnel involved in Recruiting.
	There are 1,105 Army Personnel directly involved in recruiting, against an establishment of 1,165. These personnel are Army Careers Advisors or members of Army or Corps Recruiting Teams.
	The number of personnel primarily engaged in recruiting activities is regularly reviewed against requirement and, where necessary, adjustments are made to reflect priorities.

Armed Forces: Terrorism

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the review of the role of the armed forces in counter-terrorism announced in July 2007; when a report will be published; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: My right hon. Friend the Member for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow (Mr. Ingram) was asked to review the role of the Ministry of Defence in counter-terrorism and resilience by the Prime Minister in July 2007. He is making good progress and expects to report to the Prime Minister in the summer.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the annual training requirement is for infantry  (a) officers and  (b) other ranks; and what percentage has been fulfilled in the last 12 months.

Bob Ainsworth: All regular officers and other ranks are mandated to complete military annual training tests (MATT) covering the following:
	Personal Weapons Training
	Fitness
	Battlefield Casualty Drill
	Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN)
	Navigation
	Values and Standards
	The requirements are identical for officers and other ranks although they may vary slightly depending on the individual posting—for example officers and soldiers employed within a non-deployed headquarters are not required to complete the combat fitness test unless they are preparing for an operational tour.
	Information on MATT completion rates is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, given that this training is mandatory and that the requirement is enforced, the expectation is that the completion rate in the last 12 months has been 100 per cent. and there is no reason to suspect otherwise.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the recent order for 174 Mastiff vehicles to be delivered to the UK; whether the delivery will be staggered; and how long it will take for those vehicles to be in theatre.

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to complete the order for the additional tranche of Mastiff vehicles announced by the Prime Minister on 7 October 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 20 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 698-99W.
	We are in the final stages of the approval period and until this process is complete, the precise delivery schedule cannot be agreed.

Army Air Corps: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength of each regiment of the Army Air Corps was at the most recent date for which information is available.

Bob Ainsworth: As at 27 February 2008 the regular strengths of the Army Air Corps Regiments were as follows:
	
		
			  Regiment  Regular numbers 
			 1 Regt AAC 186 
			 2 (Trg) Regt AAC 65 
			 3 Regt AAC 338 
			 4 Regt AAC 346 
			 5 Regt AAC 115 
			 6 Regt AAC (V) 8 
			 7 Regt AAC (V) 17 
			 9 Regt AAC 325 
		
	
	Strength varies between regiments due to a number of factors including role and the number of squadrons each regiment contains.

AWE Burghfield

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the two licence instruments giving agreement to the limited continued use of process facilities for weapons assembly and disassembly at AWE Burghfield were issued; when his Department first required a warhead operations licence; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The licence instruments in question were issued on 20 June and 5 November 2007. As the management and operation of atomic weapons establishment (AWE) sites is conducted under Government owned/contractor operated arrangements, it is the incumbent contractor which is licensed for nuclear operations. The first such licence was issued on 16 June 1997. The requisite licences were subsequently renewed on 29 March 2000 to take account of a change in contractor.

Cluster Munitions

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on the use of cluster munitions; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Ministers and officials meet regularly with a variety of groups to discuss the UK policy on cluster munitions.
	Most recently, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence engaged with his counterparts from other nations in the run up to the 'Oslo' Process Meeting in Wellington and along with his Foreign and International Development counterparts, met Lord Elton and members of the All Party Landmine Eradication Group.

Chelsea Barracks: Sales

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1151W, on Chelsea Barracks: sales, what portion of the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Barracks will be applied to  (a) the defence married quarters estate and  (b) single living accommodation.

Derek Twigg: Question 184828 referred to the cash flows arising from the Chelsea disposal. Defence expenditure is based on the overall spending settlements agreed with the Treasury. Within 2007-08, some £250 million will be invested in single living accommodation (SLA) and as outlined in the recent comprehensive spending review (CSR) White Paper some £550 million of the Chelsea receipt is ring-fenced for investment in service accommodation over the next three years. A further £159 million will be programmed over future CSR periods. I have therefore set out in the following table both the cash flow profile arising from sale of Chelsea and the investment profile for SLA and service family accommodation (SFA) contained in the defence financial plans.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11  Next CSR period 
			 Chelsea cash flow 383.6 191.8 191.8 191.8 — 
			 SLA expenditure 250 500 (1)159 to be programmed 
			 SFA expenditure 0 50 (1)— 
		
	
	The balance of the investment is directed at SLA, as half of the worldwide stock is currently at the lowest acceptable condition. Under current plans, 30,000 new or improved SLA bed-spaces will be delivered by 2013. This Department plans to invest a total of £134 million on SFA in Great Britain over the next three years, of which £50 million is capital from the Chelsea receipt.

Commonwealth: Armed Forces

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of soldiers in  (a) non-commissioned and  (b) commissioned ranks are from Commonwealth countries.

Bob Ainsworth: As at 1 January 2008 there were 7.1 per cent. of non-commissioned soldiers and 1.3 per cent. of commissioned officers with a Commonwealth nationality recorded.
	These percentages relate to trained regular personnel only and include the non-commissioned private soldiers.

Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply to the letter dated 27 September 2007 from the right hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding a constituent, Mr. N. Wilson of Forglen.

Derek Twigg: We have no record of receiving a letter from the right hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding Mr. Wilson. However, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence replied to a letter from Mr. Stewart Stevenson, the Member of Scottish Parliament for Banff and Buchan, on 25 February. A copy of this reply was sent to the right hon. Member as Mr. Wilson's Westminster MP.

Departmental Assets

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 33-4W, on departmental assets, which assets of his Department in  (a) the UK and  (b) abroad have been sold since 2000; what the (i) sale completion date and (ii) price realised was for each; what proportion of receipts from each sale was retained by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) retains the full benefit of disposal receipts, which form part of the Defence budget agreed with HM Treasury during the periodic spending reviews.
	The MOD disposes of thousands of assets each year. Records of each sale are not held centrally and could be provided only with disproportionate cost. However, the total proceeds from the disposal of the Department's fixed assets from 2000 are as follows:
	
		
			   Proceeds  (£ 000 ) 
			 2000-01 317,987 
			 2001-02 287,923 
			 2002-03 404,774 
			 2003-04 481,298 
			 2004-05 266,912 
			 2005-06 299,317 
			 2006-07 489,808 
		
	
	In addition, a table providing details of MOD land and property in the UK sold since 2000 will be placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to reduce his Department's carbon dioxide emissions in the next financial year.

Derek Twigg: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 4 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 796-97W.

Departmental Public Buildings

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of new buildings approved by his Department were built to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method  (a) very good and  (b) excellent standard in each of the last five years; and what the construction cost of those buildings was.

Derek Twigg: h olding answer 10 December 2007
	 In March 2006 this Department introduced the Defence Related Environmental Assessment Methodology (DREAM), which the Office of Government Commerce recognises as equivalent to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), for Ministry of Defence construction projects.
	The percentage of new buildings built to these standards for the years in which information is available is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Assessment method  Total new builds assessed  Percentage  new builds reaching excellent standard  Percentage  new builds reaching very good standard 
			 2005-06 BREEAM 49 6 12 
			 2006-07 DREAM 18 50 14 
			 2007-08 (To end January 2008) DREAM 9 100 0 
		
	
	The construction costs of each building built to these standards are not separately identifiable and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will break down, by sub-head in  (a) near cash and  (b) non-cash terms his Department's (i) gross resource outturn, (ii) operating appropriations in aid outturn, (iii) gross capital outturn and (iv) non-operating appropriations in aid outturn for financial years 2001-02 to 2006-07;
	(2)  what his Department's  (a) gross resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL),  (b) operating appropriations in aid,  (c) net capital DEL and  (d) non-operating appropriations in aid outturn, broken down in (i) near cash and (ii) non cash terms, was for financial years 2000-01 to 2006-07.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Departmental Sick Leave

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of working days lost by his Department's staff was attributed to stress-related conditions in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: The following table shows the percentage of sickness absence for Ministry of Defence civilian personnel(1) which was attributed to anxiety, depression and stress (Mental and Behavioural Disorders ICD10 category) in the calendar year 2007. The MOD does not have a specific sickness absence code for stress.
	(1) This includes all permanent and casual non-industrial and industrial civilian personnel, but excludes Trading Fund, Locally Engaged Civilian and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel.
	
		
			  Time period covered  Percentage( 1)  of  total sickness absence days lost due to anxiety, depression and stress 
			 1 January- 31 December 2007 19.9 
			 (1) The percentage of total staff has been rounded to the nearest decimal point. 
		
	
	Stress-related illness may have social or domestic causes and is not necessarily work-related. However, our policies are clear in terms of the recognition of such illnesses and the support we provide.
	We advise our employees on how to avoid stress by explaining how stress can be recognised and managed. Line managers are actively encouraged to look for signs of stress in their staff and to take action to manage it. Specifically, we emphasise that individuals vary in their ability to cope with stress and explain that one person's unbearable pressure may be another person's positive challenge. On our web portal page we list the various physical and psychological symptoms to help line managers to identify early signs.
	http://defenceintranet.diiweb.r.mil.uk/DefenceIntranet/PeopleServices/HealthWellBeingAndSickness/PromotingHealthAndWellBeingAtWork/UnderstandAndManageStress/
	For those employees who do succumb to stress-related illness, the support of the Occupational Welfare Service is available.

Departmental Translation Services

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much was spent on translation services for people in the UK who do not speak English by his Department, associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06,  (d) 2006-07 and  (e) in 2007-08 to date;
	(2)  what documents his Department, associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies translate for people in the UK who do not speak English.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence holds records of translation work that was centrally contracted out for UK based customers during 2003-04 and 2004-5. However, the records do not specify whether the ultimate customers for the translations were non-English speakers. The following figures represent the costs during 2003-04 and 2004-05 of translation work centrally contracted out by the Ministry of Defence Language Service:
	2003-04: £10,812
	2004-05: £3,764
	These costs are for translations for solely UK-based customers into Welsh, Nepali, Bengali, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and Gujarati. The documents translated consisted of a wide variety of general correspondence, official publications, courts-martial transcriptions, website content and promissory notes.
	Since 2005, responsibility for the commissioning of external language services has been devolved across the Department. Equivalent information for the latter years therefore is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of Parliamentary questions for answer on a named day to his Department received a  (a) holding and  (b) substantive answer on the named day in each year since 2001.

Derek Twigg: The number of named day questions received by the Ministry of Defence is shown as follows.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2001-02 1,677 
			 2002-03 869 
			 2003-04 686 
			 2004-05 278 
			 2005-06 1,064 
			 2006-07 799 
		
	
	Information on the number and percentage answered on the named day is only available for the 2006-07 parliamentary Session. Of the 799 questions received, 180 (25 per cent.) received a substantive answer on the named day. All questions not answered substantively on the named day receive a holding answer.

EU Rapid Reaction Force

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Army,  (b) Royal Navy and  (c) Royal Air Force personnel form the British commitment to the Helsinki Headline Goal; and what percentage of the Army's commitment is formed from the infantry.

Des Browne: The Helsinki Headline Goal has been superseded by the Headline Goal 2010.
	The UK declaration to both the Helsinki Headline Goal and the Headline Goal 2010 were based on units of capability and not numbers of armed forces personnel. These offers do not commit the UK to any action and requests for forces to support EU operations are considered on a voluntary case-by-case basis. Copies of the UK response to the Headline Goal 2010 are available in the Library of the House.

EU Rapid Reaction Force

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the EU Battlegroup concept under the Headline Goal 2010 relieves the UK of its commitment to the European Rapid Reaction Force under the Helsinki Headline Goal; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: There is no European Rapid Reaction Force. However, the EU has an objective to be able rapidly to generate forces to support crisis management operations. The EU Battlegroup initiative has been developed to help meet this requirement for rapid response.
	The UK's offer of forces that could be potentially made available to support EU operations whether through our response to the headline goal 2010 or through the provision of a Battlegroup does not commit the UK to any action. Requests for forces to support EU operations are considered on a voluntary case-by-case basis.

Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much it has cost to establish the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft private finance initiative in each year since 1999;
	(2)  what estimates have been made of the total costs of the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft; how much it has cost to check the value of a private finance initiative against a public sector comparator; and what the cost has been of the auction and negotiations with the preferred bidder.

Bob Ainsworth: The Whole Life Cost of the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft PFI programme is currently estimated to be around £13 billion. To date, the Department has incurred expenditure of approximately £47.5 million in conducting the Assessment Phase, including the internal running costs of the DE and S Integrated Project Team. The following table shows this expenditure by financial year.
	
		
			   Assessment Phase (£ million) 
			 2000-01 1.05 
			 2001-02 4.01 
			 2002-03 14.10 
			 2003-04 5.03 
			 2004-05 4.20 
			 2005-06 6.46 
			 2006-07 6.83 
			 2007-08(1) 5.84 
			 Total 47.51 
			 (1) Reflects 2007-08 expenditure to January 2008

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his Answer of 4 February 2008,  Official Report, column 800W, on Iraq: peacekeeping operations, what information his Department holds on the  (a) number and  (b) cost to the public purse of private contractors employed by his Department in Iraq.

Des Browne: Where contractors are employed in Iraq by the MOD, the manpower required forms part of the contract. Each contractor is required to provide reports of the actual numbers of staff employed under each contract. The Department is currently developing a database to record this information centrally, but until it is fully populated, the information is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The cost of each contract is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many non-infantry personnel have served in an infantry role in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan since 2003.

Des Browne: This information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed services are in theatre in Iraq, broken down by  (a) sex,  (b) age,  (c) service and  (d) regiment; and how many were in theatre in Iraq in each year since 2003 in each category.

Bob Ainsworth: Information on the sex, age and regiment of military personnel deployed to Iraq is not held centrally. Information on the service of military personnel deployed to Iraq is not held centrally prior to December 2005.
	The total number of UK military personnel deployed to Iraq at the end of May in each year since 2003 is available on the Department's website and can be found at:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/OperationsFactsheets/OperationsInIraqFactsandFigures.htm

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the hourly cost of internet access was for  (a) frontline troops in Iraq in each month since January 2003 and  (b) frontline troops in Afghanistan in each month since January 2001.

Bob Ainsworth: The MOD welfare internet service is provided free of charge to personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, it is not possible to provide information on the hourly cost of internet access because of the technical solution that is used to provide the welfare communications service. This involves all voice (telephone) and data (internet) transmissions being combined and sent via a single satellite feed with the MOD being charged for the total number of megabytes of information transmitted.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much free telephone time frontline troops are entitled to in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq; and how much it costs them to top-up phone time by (i) 20 minutes, (ii) 30 minutes, (iii) 45 minutes and (iv) 90 minutes.

Bob Ainsworth: Service personnel deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq are entitled to 30 minutes of free telephone time per week. The majority of personnel are able to use satellite cabins to make their welfare calls although those in very austere locations or on board ship will instead use Iridium or INMARSAT satellite phones.
	Personnel calling an off-peak UK landline from a satellite cabin are able to top up their phone time at a cost of £2.20 for 20 minutes; £3.30 for 30 minutes; £4.95 for 45 minutes; and £9.90 for 90 minutes. Personnel calling from an Iridium satellite telephone will pay £17.80 for 20 minutes; £26.70 for 30 minutes; £40.08 for 45 minutes; and £80.10 for 90 minutes. Personnel calling from an INMARSAT system will pay £23.40 for 20 minutes; £35.10 for 30 minutes; £52.65 for 45 minutes; and £105.30 for 90 minutes. Iridium and INMARSAT charges are set by third party satellite services providers and not by the MOD communications contractor. Charges for calls to mobile telephones will vary according to the network provider chosen by the individual.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces who are  (a) deployed and  (b) awaiting deployment to (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan have not been issued with a pair of Midel or Magnum boots; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: Since July 2007, members of the UK armed forces deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan have been provided with a pair of Meindl desert boots and a pair of Magnum desert boots as standard. Troops deploying for the winter months are also provided with an additional pair of boots designed for cold and wet conditions.
	Following a further study of the optimum arrangements, and as stocks allow, deploying troops will be given the option to choose Lowe desert boots as an alternative to Meindl boots.

Iraq: Resettlement

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Iraqi citizens formerly employed by the Ministry of Defence have been recognised by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees as refugees in need of resettlement.

Bob Ainsworth: To date, we are aware of one Iraqi civilian formally employed by the Ministry of Defence who has been recognised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as a refugee in need of resettlement.

Iraq: Weapons

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the accuracy of the defence intelligence staff estimates prior to the Iraq war that claims about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction had been exaggerated.

Des Browne: holding answer 3 March 2008
	 On 3 February 2004, the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) announced the establishment of a Committee of Privy Councillors, to be headed by the right hon. Lord Butler of Brockwell KG GCB CVO, to review intelligence on weapons of mass destruction.
	The Terms of Reference of the Committee included investigation of the accuracy of intelligence on Iraqi WMD up to March 2003, examination of any discrepancies between the intelligence gathered, evaluated and used by the Government before the conflict, and between that intelligence and what had been discovered by the Iraq Survey Group since the end of the conflict.
	The Butler Committee delivered its formal report "Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction" (HC898) on 14 July 2004. That report, the conclusions of which the Government accepted in full, constitutes the formal Government review on this matter; no subsequent assessment on this matter has been undertaken within the Ministry of Defence.

Military Bases: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which 10 UK military installations have the largest numbers of military personnel.

Bob Ainsworth: Individual defence installations do not routinely publish personnel data, as different organisations and agencies are responsible for the same location or site. Figures for the stationed location of UK Regular Forces are only available at local authority level using centrally held data; to do otherwise would involve disproportionate cost.
	Listed are the 10 local authorities with the most stationed military personnel:
	1. Portsmouth
	2. Richmondshire
	3. Plymouth
	4. Salisbury
	5. Kennet
	6. North Kesteven
	7. North Wiltshire
	8. Westminster
	9. Moray
	10. West Oxfordshire
	Naval Service personnel on sea service are included against the local authority containing the home port of their ship.

Military Equipment: Land Mines

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1494W, on military equipment: land mines, when the armed forces procured the Husky, known as Chubby vehicle sets; at what price they were purchased; when they were disposed of; to whom they were sold; and at what price they were sold.

Bob Ainsworth: Although Chubby vehicle sets were used in Bosnia in 1996, provided, we believe, as an urgent operational requirement, we no longer hold the relevant procurement records. The Chubby vehicle sets were gifted by the MOD to the Halo Trust on 20 March 2001. The value of the gift is recorded as £27,000.

Nuclear Power: Waste Disposal

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether nuclear  (a) waste and  (b) materials originating in the UK have been dumped at sea since 1978.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	Pure nuclear materials (i.e. fissile plutonium and uranium) have not been knowingly dumped at sea since 1978. However, laboratory and process waste, contaminated by nuclear materials from both the civil and military sectors, was disposed of from 1978 until 1982 into areas of the north east Atlantic.

Small Scale Focused Intervention Battlegroup

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which units will form the Small Scale Focused Intervention Battlegroup.

Bob Ainsworth: The Black Watch The 3(rd) Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland assumed the Small Scale Focused Intervention Battle Group role on the 15 February 2008 and will retain this commitment until the 19 of May 2008, when it will hand over to the 2(nd )Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

Territorial Army Continuous Attitude Survey

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the latest Territorial Army Continuous Attitude Survey.

Bob Ainsworth: Yes. I will place a copy of the latest Territorial Army Continuous Attitude Survey Technical Annex, produced in April 2007, and the associated questionnaire in the Library of the House.

Western European Armaments Group: Finance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) annual budget of and  (b) UK's contribution to the Western European Armaments Group was in each year from 1997 to 2005.

Des Browne: The Western European Armaments Group budgets and UK contribution to those budgets for the years 1997 to 2005 were as follows:
	
		
			   Approved WEAG budget (€)  UK contribution (€)  UK contribution in sterling (estimated using the average general accounting rate (GAR) for that year) 
			 2005 950,000.00 128,212.00 89,321.00 
			 2004 483,855.00 65,301.00 45,091.00 
			 2003 552,840.00 74,611.00 48,484.00 
			 2002 844,544.00 113,980.00 70,931.00 
			 2001 984,971.00 132,932.00 82,448.00 
			 2000 631,669.00 103,278.00 68,478.00 
			 1999 478,452.00 78,227.00 55,237.00 
			 1998 450,720.00 73,693.00 49,708.00 
			 1997 438,058.00 71,623.00 49,057.00

PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Prime Minister how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by Senior Civil Service staff in his Office in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office on 3 March (UIN 187551).

Press

David Laws: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what the total annual cost of his press office was in each year since 1996-97; what the cost was for each quarter since 1 April 2007; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 21 February 2008, Question 163573, on the press office budget, for what reasons it is not possible to estimate the expenditure of the Downing street press office for each  (a) quarter and  (b) year since 31 March 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 22 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1099-1100W. Non-comparable information for previous years is a matter of public record and can be found in the  Official Report.

Press

David Laws: To ask the Prime Minister how many press officers were employed in the Downing street press office in each reporting period since 31 March 1997; how many were employed on the most recent date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 819-20W, and to the answers given by my predecessor (Tony Blair) on 30 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 895-6W, 22 March 2004,  Official Report, column 561W, 10 April 2002,  Official Report, column 11W and 22 November 2001,  Official Report, column 471W.

Television

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister how many plasma television screens have been purchased by 10 Downing street, and at what cost in the last 24 months.

Gordon Brown: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office today.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Indian Ocean Territory: Military Bases

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Statement of 21 February 2008,  Official Report, column 547, on terrorist suspects (renditions), whether he plans to  (a) review and  (b) seek changes to the agreement between the UK and the US on the military use of the Chagos Islands.

Meg Munn: The 1966 Exchange of Notes, by which the British Indian Ocean Territory was set aside for the defence purposes of the UK and the US, will continue in force for a further period of 20 years beyond 2016, unless it is duly terminated. The UK and US will of course continue to consult closely on their mutual defence needs.

Burma: Arms Trade

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support calls for a universal arms embargo on Burma and to introduce such an embargo through the UN Security Council.

Meg Munn: The UK works closely with its partners at the UN to press the Burmese regime to engage constructively with the Secretary-General's Good Offices mission. We have made clear that, should the regime fail to make progress towards genuine national reconciliation, under UN auspices, we would press for further UN action. We would support the imposition of a UN arms embargo. Such a measure would require the adoption of a Chapter VII Resolution by the Security Council.
	A strict EU arms embargo is already in place. We stand ready to elaborate further restrictive measures if we see no, or limited, progress on reform by the Burmese regime.

Burma: Sanctions

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support calls for targeted banking sanctions against members of the military regime in Burma.

Meg Munn: We are actively examining the options for extending existing measures to include targeted banking sanctions against members of the military regime in Burma.
	The EU common position on Burma includes a ban on investment and the provision of financial services to certain enterprises linked to the military regime. It also includes an asset freeze, which targets the regime leadership, the senior ranks of the military and their family members.

Burma: Singapore

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to urge the government of Singapore to introduce a visa ban on members of Burma' military regime to prevent them from entering Singapore for any reason.

Meg Munn: We are in regular contact with the Singaporean authorities regarding the situation in Burma. I spoke to the Singaporean Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 2(nd) Permanent Secretary Bilahari Kausikan, on 18 February to discuss recent developments in Burma.
	Singapore, both nationally and in its current role as Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) chair, has made clear its concerns about the violent repression carried out by the Burmese authorities last year, its wish to see the regime engaging in genuine dialogue with Burma's opposition parties, and its support for the UN Secretary-General's goodwill mission. Singapore and its ASEAN partners do not support the application of sanctions at this time. The imposition of sanctions is part of our ongoing conversation with Singapore and other countries in the region.
	We will continue to encourage all our ASEAN partners to do all they can to support political reform and national reconciliation.

Departmental Parliamentary Questions

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) guidance and  (b) training is provided by his Department to (i) Ministers and (ii) officials in relation to the answering of (A) written and (B) oral parliamentary questions; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: holding answer 3 March 2008
	Ministers appointed to work in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) receive on arrival a bespoke briefing pack, which includes guidance on parliamentary procedures.
	The FCO's intranet contains written guidance on all aspects of parliamentary work, including drafting replies to written and oral questions. The FCO's Parliamentary Relations Team run a one-day course for officials on parliamentary work, which includes advice on drafting replies to written and oral questions. In addition, FCO officials have the option of attending other courses on parliamentary work offered by the National School of Government.

Diplomatic Service: Security

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions British Embassies and Consulates have been subject to  (a) data security breaches,  (b) physical intrusion and  (c) incidents which have compromised the physical integrity of the premises or the safety of staff since 1997; and what the nature of each incident was.

Meg Munn: It is not Foreign and Commonwealth Office practice to comment on security at its overseas posts.

Equatorial Guinea: Diplomatic Service

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will reopen the UK mission to Equatorial Guinea.

Meg Munn: The UK has never had a mission in Equatorial Guinea.
	Non-resident diplomatic cover for Equatorial Guinea is provided by our high commissioner in Abuja and his staff. Consular cover is provided by our deputy high commission in Lagos and there is a British Honorary Consul resident in Malabo.
	The Government have no plans to establish a permanent diplomatic presence in Equatorial Guinea at this point. We believe that current arrangements are sufficient to represent UK interests in Equatorial Guinea.

Equatorial Guinea: Simon Mann

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects a date to be set for the trial of Simon Mann in Equatorial Guinea; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: holding answer 3 March 2008
	The timing of any trial is a matter for the Equatorial Guinea legal authorities.

European Union: Banks

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to discuss the use of European banking systems to facilitate  (a) tax evasion and  (b) criminal activity on the part of UK citizens with the EU Council of Ministers.

Jim Murphy: We expect tax evasion and related issues to be discussed at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council today, in advance of the spring European Council on 13-14 March. The UK believes the EU has a key role to play in tackling cross-border tax evasion and financial crime. The EU continues to work to prevent tax evasion and financial crime under various directives, including the savings tax directive and relevant agreements with third countries.

Islam

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visits abroad were funded by his Department in relation to the Projecting British Muslims project in each year since it was established; what the cost of each visit was; and who the members of the relevant delegations from Britain were who participated in each visit.

Kim Howells: With regard to Projecting British Islam delegations, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 831W.

Israel

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations were made to the Israeli authorities following the attempted arrest of General Almog in September 2005 on the denial of police access to the El Al aeroplane at Heathrow Airport.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office made no representations to the Israeli authorities on this issue. Aviation security is a matter for the Department for Transport and policing at Heathrow airport is a matter for the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office.

Israel

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has obtained assurances from the Israeli authorities on the co-operation of armed Israeli air marshals with UK police officers in the lawful execution of their duty on aircraft on British soil.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not sought assurances from the Government of Israel regarding air marshals. Aviation security is a matter for the Department for Transport and policing at Heathrow airport is a matter for the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office.

Japan: Whales

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Minister for Asia had with the Japanese Foreign Minister in Tokyo in January on Japan's whaling programme in the Southern Ocean; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, visited Tokyo from 17-19 January. During his discussion with the Japanese Foreign Minister, the Minister reiterated the UK's strong opposition to Japan's whaling programme.
	The Government believe whaling is inherently cruel and continue strongly to urge Japan to cease its whaling activities. In December last year our ambassador in Tokyo took part in a 30 country (plus the European Commission) demarche to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protest against Japan's whaling programme. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Jonathan Shaw) met with the deputy head of mission at the Japanese embassy in January and robustly challenged Japan's policy on whaling, pointing out that the UK would continue to state our opposition on this issue publicly.

Mineral Waters

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many litres of bottled water were purchased by his Department in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Nepal: Elections

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support he plans to provide to assist democratic elections in Nepal.

Kim Howells: We continue to believe that the elections to a Constituent Assembly in Nepal, currently planned for 10 April, are key to sustaining the momentum of the current peace process. It is important that all political parties in Nepal, with the support of the international community including the UK, work to ensure that they are credible, free and fair and that they allow a voice to all marginalised groups. We have maintained our wide-ranging backing for the electoral process, including through co-funding the Election Commission and supporting voter education programmes. In addition, we have provided funding to allow the Carter Centre and Asia Foundation to provide international and local non-governmental organisations to monitor elections. As part of our efforts to encourage wider international support, we have pressed the EU to increase the number of election monitors it will deploy to Nepal. Through the UK's Global Conflict Prevention Pool, we have recently approved funding for a number of hon. Members to travel to Nepal to take part in an election observation mission.

Nepal: Human Rights

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the political and human rights situation of the Madhesis people of Nepal.

Kim Howells: The question of Madhesi rights and engagement in the political process has risen sharply up the agenda through the last year, following significant disturbances and violent protests across the Terai region. Throughout this period, the UK, with our international partners, has continued to urge the Government of Nepal to engage with Madhesi groups, to address their legitimate concerns and to bring them into a fully representative electoral process. The UK joined with our EU partners in welcoming the 28 February 2008 agreement between the Government of Nepal and the United Democratic Madhesi Front, which addresses many of the main Madhesi demands and which has allowed Madhesi parties to start the process of nominating candidates to the elections.
	Through the UK's continuing support of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal and local and international non-governmental organisations, the UK has worked to reduce human rights violations in the Terai and elsewhere in Nepal. While the agreement of 28 February 2008 will go some way to ensuring the recognition of Madhesi rights, the UK will continue to work with human rights defenders across Nepal to help promote respect for international human rights standards.

Pakistan: Politics and Government

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Pakistan.

Kim Howells: I welcome the opportunity taken by the people of Pakistan to exercise their democratic voice in the recent elections. I endorse the EU Election Observation Mission report's findings and we are pleased they assessed that the elections were competitive, despite the well-documented procedural problems.
	Despite fundamental problems in the electoral process in the run up to election day, we recognise there has been progress since the last elections in 2002. The Government are determined to work closely with the people and Government of Pakistan to help them meet the challenges they now face—including political, economic, education and health.

Spain: Football

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Spanish counterpart on the violence at the Bolton Wanderers versus Atletico Madrid football match in Madrid on 21 February 2008.

Jim Murphy: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not held discussions with his Spanish counterpart on this issue. The Home Office has requested police and other reports on the incident. Bolton Wanderers and the Football Association are also pursuing this matter with UEFA.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received reports of clashes between the Misseriya and Dinka in Southern Kordofan.

Meg Munn: We are aware of clashes between the Misseriya and Dinka tribes in South Kordofan which the UN Mission in Sudan has attributed to disputes over land access, grazing rights and migration. Through the Department for International Development, we are funding a stability assessment in South Kordofan and governance capacity-building programme (implemented through the UN Development Programme) to improve institutional capacity to respond to such disputes and deal with returning internally displaced persons.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the government of Sudan on attacks carried out by Sudanese government forces in West Darfur since 8 February and the impact of the violence on the humanitarian situation there; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Our ambassador in Khartoum, in a meeting with Sudanese presidential adviser Mustafa Osman Ismail on 21 February, expressed our deep concern about civilian casualties and displacement following the Sudanese armed forces attacks in the Jebel Moun in West Darfur on 18-19 February. She called on the Sudanese Government to meet their responsibilities under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and to end all aerial bombing immediately.
	My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for International Development, called on all parties to stop the violence, allow immediate humanitarian access, to protect civilians and to facilitate the deployment of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur in a joint statement of 27 February.

Sudan: China

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether progress was made during Liu Guijin's visit to the UK on co-operation between the UK and China on issues pertaining to Darfur and Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister agreed with Chinese Premier Wen, when they met in Beijing in January, that they would work together to advance both political talks and deployment of the UN-African Union peacekeeping force for Darfur. Since then my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has discussed the issues further with Premier Wen and Chinese State Councillor Tang, and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary with the Chinese Foreign Minister Yang, in advance of his visit to China last month.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development, along with other ministerial colleagues and officials, has also raised these points with the Chinese Special Envoy for Africa, during the envoy's visit this week to London and in particular have encouraged him to urge restraint on all sides during his forthcoming talks in Khartoum and N'Djamena.

Tourism: Football

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department takes to protect non-violent British football supporters when they attend football matches in other countries.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) plan for football matches involving British clubs, held overseas to ensure the level of consular support they provide to travelling British supporters is proportionate to the risk of disruption and violence. Officials work closely with the relevant local authorities, the Home Office (which has lead responsibility for policing and public safety issues at matches overseas), clubs, the Football Association and relevant fans' groups to determine the level of risk. In all cases, officials will provide British supporters with consular assistance as set out in the FCO's publication "Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide". The Home Office is working closely with football safety experts across Europe in taking forward a pan-European programme of measures designed to mitigate safety and security risks at international football matches.

Turkey: Armed Conflict

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Turkey on its decision to engage Kurdish forces in the North of Iraq.

Jim Murphy: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has urged his Turkish counterpart that Turkey should conclude this operation as quickly as possible, and then withdraw its troops from northern Iraq. We have also pressed Turkey to take all possible steps to avoid causing harm to civilians. We continue to encourage the Turkish government, the Iraqi government and Kurdish Regional authorities to work together to resolve this issue through dialogue.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Moroccan counterpart on the human rights situation in Western Sahara.

Kim Howells: The UK is concerned about the welfare of the people of Western Sahara. While my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed human rights in Western Sahara with his Moroccan counterpart, I have discussed a range of issues regarding conditions on the ground in Western Sahara with the Moroccan Foreign Minister, Fassi Fihri, most recently in July 2007. Officials in Rabat, London and New York are in regular dialogue with the Moroccan authorities, civil society and other interested parties regarding Western Sahara, including on human rights.
	The UK also remains concerned that the issue of the status of Western Sahara remains unresolved, with consequent problems for the people of the region. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1783 on 31 October 2007, which renewed the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara until 30 April 2008. The resolution also calls upon the parties to continue negotiations under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General, without preconditions and in good faith. The UK fully supports these negotiations, with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

JUSTICE

Crown Dependencies

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what occasions  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department or its predecessor met representatives of the government of the Isle of Man in each year since 1997; what issues were discussed; what the (i) location and (ii) duration of each meeting was; whether a record of each meeting was kept; who attended each meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: There are regular meetings between officials in the Ministry of Justice and their counterparts in the Isle of Man and it would not be possible to list each one. Some of these meetings have taken place in the Isle of Man, some in the Ministry of Justice and some in other Government Departments. In general no formal or permanent record of these meetings is kept and most often action points are agreed between the respective officials.
	From records and in the time available I can confirm that the following high-level meetings have taken place.
	On 31 July and 1 August 2002 the then Parliamentary Secretary at the Lord Chancellor's Department, the right hon. Member for Doncaster, Central (Ms Winterton), with officials visited the Isle of Man and held meetings with the Chief Minister, the Lieutenant Governor, the Chief Secretary, the President of Tynwald, the Speaker of the House of Keys and members of Tynwald. Among the issues discussed were international tax, the exchange of information, terrorism, the undersea gas pipeline, the euro, access to national lottery proceeds, student visas and Sellafield.
	Between 26 and 28 November 2002 the Lord Chancellor and Permanent Secretary with other officials visited the Isle of Man and held meetings with the Chief Minister, the Lieutenant Governor, the Chief Secretary, the Chief Financial Officer, the President of Tynwald, the Speaker of the House of Keys, members of Tynwald and the Financial Supervision Commission. Among the issues discussed were, international tax, the euro, security issues (routes to Isle of Man), speed of response on fisheries matters, the Isle of Man aircraft register, extension of maritime conventions to Isle of Man and Sellafield.
	On 4 and 5 November 2003 my hon. Friend the Member for Tottenham (Mr. Lammy) (then Parliamentary Under Secretary to Department for Constitutional Affairs) with officials visited the Isle of Man and held meetings with the Chief Minister, the Lieutenant Governor, the Chief Secretary, the President of Tynwald, the Speaker of the House of Keys, members of Tynwald and the Deputy Deemster. Among the issues discussed were, the competitiveness of the Isle of Man shipping register, airport slots and regional access, taxation and market access, fisheries, the lottery, UK higher education and top - up fees, qualified teacher status, visa applications for full time study in the Isle of Man, the inclusion of the Isle of Man in UK co-production treaty arrangements, UNESCO and the nomination of Tynwald Hill as a World Heritage Site.
	On 22 and 23 September 2005 the Lord Chancellor with officials visited the Isle of Man and held meetings with the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary, the Attorney-General, members of Tynwald, the Deemster, the Chief Financial Officer, the Director of External Relations, the Financial Services Commission and the Insurance and Pensions Authority. Among the issues discussed were relations between the Isle of Man and the UK, the Isle of Man financial services industry, the impact of EU and UK initiatives on the Isle of Man, tax information exchange agreements, development of the Isle of Man's international profile, the Isle of Man space business, UK e-gaming regulation, the World Trade Organisation, immigration and anti-terrorism measures.
	On 25 and 26 January 2007 the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Constitutional Affairs with officials visited the Isle of Man and held meetings with the Lieutenant Governor, the Chief Minister, the President of Tynwald, the Treasury Minister, the First Deemster, the Chief Secretary, Attorney-General, Chief Financial Officer, and the Director of External Relations. Among the issues discussed were the Isle of Man's external relations, the development of the relationship between the Isle of Man and the UK and the development of an international identity framework, taxation and entrustment.
	On 5 December 2007 the Isle of Man Chief Minister with officials visited the Ministry of Justice for an introductory meeting with me. Among the issues discussed by Ministers and officials was the Isle of Man's external relations and working relations between the respective administrations.

Crown Dependencies: Legislation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what occasions the Privy Council consulted his Department or its predecessor on legislative matters submitted for promulgation from the Isle of Man in each year since 1997.

Michael Wills: The Privy Council has not consulted the Ministry of Justice, or its predecessors, on any legislative matter submitted for promulgation from the Isle of Man since 1997. Isle of Man legislation is not submitted directly to Privy Council but to the Ministry of Justice so that the Secretary of State for Justice, in his role as the Privy Counsellor primarily responsible for matters relating to the Crown Dependencies may advise:
	(a) His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man whether he may exercise his delegated authority to give Assent, on behalf of Her Majesty, to the legislation or
	(b) that legislation dealing with defence; international relations; nationality and citizenship; the powers and remuneration of the Lieutenant Governor; the constitutional relationship between the UK and the Isle of Man; or which affects the Royal prerogative or the rights of The Queen in Her private capacity should be reserved for the signification of Her Majesty in Council and submitted to the Privy Council with the recommendation that Her Majesty in Council may properly be advised to make an assenting Order.
	Records from 1997 to 2001 are not accessible in the available time but between 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2007 a total of 98 Isle of Man Bills were promulgated. Of those, only one was reserved for the Signification of Her Majesty in Council, the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2005.

Crown Dependencies: Legislation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what legislation introduced by the Government was considered for extension to the Isle of Man in each Session since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  on what occasions the Government has consulted the administration of the Isle of Man on legislative issues since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: Since 1997 the Government have consulted the Isle of Man about extension of the Acts of Parliament listed as follows.
	This list is complied by year rather than by session due to the manner in which records are held, and is not definitive as only electronic records could be accessed in the time available.
	 2007
	Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill
	Building Societies (Funding) and Mutual Societies (Transfers) Act 2007
	Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Act 2007
	UK Borders Act 2007
	Serious Crime Act 2007
	Draft Marine Bill
	 2006
	Armed Forces Act 2006
	Companies Act 2006
	Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006
	Identity Cards Act 2006
	Terrorism Act 2006
	Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006
	 2005
	Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2005
	Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
	Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
	 2004
	Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc.) Act 2004
	Patents Act 2004
	Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004
	Civil Contingencies Act 2004
	 2003
	Communications Act 2003
	Extradition Act 2003
	Co-operatives and Community Benefits Societies Act 2003
	 2002
	Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002
	Office of Communications Act 2002
	 2001
	Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001
	 2000
	Nuclear Safeguards Act 2000
	 1999
	Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
	 1998
	Landmines Act 1998
	Wireless Telegraphy Act 1998
	 1997
	Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997
	Special Immigration Appeals Commission Act 1997
	United Nations Personnel Act 1997

Departmental Equality

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of the duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for disabled people and welcomes its responsibilities under the Disability Equality Duty.
	This Department will shortly be publishing its 'Disability Equality Scheme, Annual Review'. The report will be published in conjunction with the first MoJ Disability Equality Scheme (DBS) for the period 2008-11.
	Key priorities identified by our stakeholders with disabilities are access to justice, to buildings and information; community engagement; and training. Related actions on these priority areas will be taken forward during the life of the forthcoming MoJ DES.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1110W, on departmental marketing, how many  (a) items of corporate display materials,  (b) publications,  (c) public information booklets,  (d) items of building signage,  (e) items of hard stationery and  (f) lanyards his Department has procured since its establishment; and what its total expenditure on such products has been to date.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice was created on 9 May 2007. Quantities of each item procured by the Department are detailed in the following table. Records for orders are not held centrally; the answer has therefore been based on available data.
	Total expenditure on these products was given in the answer on 28 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1922W.
	
		
			  Ministry of Justice HQ and Agencies—quantities of branded items since 9 May 2007 
			  Organisation  (a) corporate display materials  (b) publications  (c) public information booklets  (d) building signage  (e) hard stationery  (f) lanyards 
			  Ministry of Justice HQ   
			 9 May 2007 to 3 March 2008 23 banner stand 13 plus 6 issues of the MoJ staff magazine 12 External plaques and foyer signage for 5 HQ buildings in London 25 notepads 1,250 
			  2 pop up backdrops162,000 envelopes  
			  94,000 compliment slips  
			  157,000 headed paper sheets  
			  666,200 business cards  
			
			  HMCS 67 Banner stands 6 corporate documents 117 0 92,020 business cards 0 
			  2,906,950 compliment slips  
			  1,835,000 letterheads  
			
			  OPG 11 Banner stands 1 79 82 internal signs Launch invites and envelopes. Post it pads 0 
			
			  OCJR Figure not available 2 7 Figure not available Figure not available Figure not Available 
			
			  Tribunals Service 2 banner stands 8 10 0 Figure not available 0 
			
			  NOMS (inc National Probation Service) 7,600 plaques 4 15 0 Figure not available 15,000

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) value and  (b) start date was of each private finance initiative project approved by his Department in each of the last three financial years.

Maria Eagle: The capital value and start date for every signed PFI project are recorded centrally on the Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public_private_partnerships/ppp_pfi_stats.cfm

Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the courts will begin to make restraining orders on acquittal under section 12 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	Section 12 of the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004 will enable courts to impose restraining orders on those convicted of any offence, and also on those who are acquitted for any offence. This will mean that restraining orders will be available in a much wider range of cases.
	We are currently working with the Ministry of Justice on the resource implications of this provision. When we have resolved this issue, we will be in a position to agree a timetable for the implementation of this section of the Act.

Employment Agencies

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department paid to recruitment agencies in relation to departmental appointments in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: My Department does not hold this information centrally and it is, therefore, not possible to collate this without incurring disproportionate costs.
	For posts below SCS, recruitment agencies are not used, other than in exceptional circumstances when a particular skills set is identified. This information is not held centrally.
	The Civil Service Recruitment website, which was launched in December 2002, is the site of first choice for central government recruitment. There is no advertising cost associated with this facility.
	As a part of the Civil Service Reform agenda applications from outside the Civil Service and from all sections of the community are encouraged. External recruitment support may be used to facilitate this.

Feltham Young Offender Institution and Remand Centre

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many inmates have been detained within the Ibis Unit at HM Young Offender Institution Feltham in each of the last 36 months; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The information is set out in the following table and includes people who may have been held on Ibis Unit for as little as one hour.
	
		
			   January  February  March  April  May  June  July  August  September  October  November  December 
			  2005 
			 YP 19 14 22 23 24 24 26 34 20 20 22 28 
			 YA 32 17 12 16 26 27 17 19 11 29 45 35 
			 Total 51 31 34 39 50 51 43 53 31 49 67 63 
			  
			  2006 
			 YP 22 30 29 19 33 35 38 34 26 14 24 22 
			 YA 39 32 31 36 28 33 38 28 32 34 18 25 
			 Total 61 62 60 55 61 68 76 62 58 48 42 47 
			  
			  2007 
			 YP 21 18 25 21 19 11 12 15 13 10 16 20 
			 YA 34 26 19 27 29 20 15 29 34 24 24 25 
			 Total 55 44 44 48 48 31 27 44 47 34 40 45 
			  Note:  YP means young person aged 15-17. YA means young adult aged 18-21.

Feltham Young Offender Institution and Remand Centre

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the criteria are for determining whether an inmate at HM Young Offender Institution Feltham should be placed within the Ibis Unit; when these criteria were last reviewed; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: HMPYOI Feltham follows the national policy set out in Prison Service Order 1700 (Segregation) when determining whether an offender should be located on Ibis Unit. A full review of PSO 1700 is currently in its latter stages. The last review was completed in November 2003. Adjudications (including decisions on whether to segregate as a punishment) are conducted in accordance with the requirements of PSO 2000 (The Prison Discipline Manual).

HM Prison Norwich: Smuggling

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the volume of contraband in HM Prison Norwich in each of the last 36 months; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: From 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2007 there were 208 drugs finds and 149 mobile phones finds at Norwich prison. The figures are broken down by month in the following table. As the table demonstrates there has been a decrease in drug finds year on year from 86 in 2005 to 52 in 2007. The assessment is that the reduced number of drug finds has coincided with a drop in the Positive Mandatory Drug Testing rate at Norwich to 5.67 per cent. (April 2007—January 2008), which indicates that a significant proportion of drugs coming into the establishment are being intercepted. Norwich has strategies in place to maximise mobile phone finds, and the number of such finds suggests the strategy is generating some success. It is not Prison Service policy to disclose details of individual establishment strategies for intercepting contraband.
	
		
			  Drug and mobile phone finds from January 2005 to December 2007 
			   Drugs  Mobile phones 
			  2005   
			 January 17 3 
			 February 17 3 
			 March 5 1 
			 April 2 2 
			 May 7 10 
			 June 4 2 
			 July 5 4 
			 August 3 5 
			 September 3 1 
			 October 8 5 
			 November 4 3 
			 December 11 9 
			 Total 86 48 
			
			  2006   
			 January 4 6 
			 February 8 6 
			 March 7 3 
			 April 7 5 
			 May 15 5 
			 June 8 4 
			 July 6 2 
			 August 5 1 
			 September 4 1 
			 October 1 2 
			 November 3 4 
			 December 2 4 
			 Total 70 43 
			
			  2007   
			 January 1 3 
			 February 6 7 
			 March 8 5 
			 April 9 9 
			 May 3 1 
			 June 7 3 
			 July 6 7 
			 August 3 1 
			 September 3 6 
			 October 2 9 
			 November 1 1 
			 December 3 6 
			 Total 208 149

Monarchy: Marriage

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether the opinion in respect of royal marriages, prepared by the Attorney General and dated 28 October 1955, at the request of the Lord Chancellor, Viscount Kilmuir is still extant; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what guidance he holds on who comes within the scope of section  (a) 1 and  (b) 2 of the Royal Marriage Act 1772; and on how many occasions the process in section 2 has been implemented in the last 30 years.

Jack Straw: Any amendment to the Royal Marriages Act 1772 that touched on Succession to the Crown would engage the Statute of Westminster 1931. The opinion that the Attorney-General provided in 1955 to the then Lord Chancellor, is publicly available on the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.dca.gov.uk/rights/dca/inforeleased/royalmarriages.htm
	The Department holds no guidance on the scope of section 1 beyond the requirement on the face of the Act that it applies to the descendants of George II except those who are the issue of princesses married into foreign families. There is no record of the process in section 2 having been implemented in the last 30 years.

Polygamy

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) research he has commissioned and  (b) representations he has received on the recognition of polygamous marriages.

Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice has not commissioned research or received any official representations on the recognition of polygamous marriages.
	A person domiciled in a country where polygamous marriage is permitted, is free to enter into such a marriage in that country. Provided the parties follow the necessary requirements under the law of the country in question, the marriage would be recognised in England and Wales as a valid and polygamous marriage.

Prisoners: Health

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners detained in Essex have been classified as in need of assistance for mental health problems; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: This information is not held centrally.
	Investment in prison mental health in-reach services has been nearly £20 million each year since 2004-05. In total, the Government are investing around £200 million on prison health services in 2006-07—a substantial increase on the £118 million spent in 2002-03.
	All prisoners, both new prisoners and those transferred from one prison to another, benefit from a new health screening process that is designed to detect physical and mental health problems.
	Prisoners who are identified as needing further help can be referred to a mental health in-reach team, who will arrange further assessment and follow up referral.

Prisons

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on feasibility studies of the proposed titan prisons; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The Government announced on 5 December that it had accepted Lord Carter of Coles' recommendation to build up to three Titan prisons. Lord Carter had access to a range of expertise and advice in drawing up his report and consulted a variety of stakeholders. The cost of work to date to examine the feasibility of Titan prisons is not separately identifiable.

Prisons: Scotland

Adam Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether there have been discussions between his Department and the Scottish Executive on the provision of high security facilities within the Scottish Prison Service for the imprisonment of terrorists convicted under the Scottish judicial system.

David Hanson: I am not aware of any discussions with the Scottish Executive on this subject. However, HM Prison Service liaises with the Scottish Prison Service and the Northern Ireland Prison Service on a range of issues of mutual interest.

Speed Limits: Fines

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many fines arising from speed cameras in London were  (a) unpaid after exhaustion of the legal process and  (b) overdue at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: Information on unpaid and overdue fines from speed camera convictions is not collected centrally.
	The information collected by my Department identifies the number of fixed penalties ordered to be paid and the number and amounts of court fines issued for such offences within each police force area. Fixed penalties that remain unpaid after the statutory period (28 days in the case of a fixed penalty resulting from unattended camera operation) are registered as fines at one and a half times the original fixed penalty amount.
	The overall payment rate for fines in general for the period to January 2008 is 92 per cent. It is not possible to breakdown the total of unpaid fines for individual offences.

Suicide: Internet

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward legislative proposals to give young people greater protection from suicide-related web sites.

Maria Eagle: I understand concerns about these websites and the influence they may have over vulnerable people, particularly young people. As part of its review of the law relating to assisting and encouraging crime, the Law Commission examined the issue of suicide websites and made some recommendations which the Government are considering. Those recommendations, if implemented, would update but not substantively change the law. The Law Commission were absolutely clear in their conclusion that existing law is capable of dealing with the contemporary problem posed by suicide websites.
	We have looked again at this area of law in the light of recent tragic events in Bridgend but we believe that the offences of assisting and attempting to assist suicide should together be sufficient to respond to any behaviour that ought to be unlawful.

Trials: Measurement

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many cases are  (a) under investigation and  (b) awaiting court proceedings in respect of the use of imperial weights and measures; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what cases in which legal proceedings have been completed have been prosecuted in relation to preventing the use of imperial weights and measures in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The available information on prosecutions under the Weights and Measures act 1985 for offences related to weights and measures provisions is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts under the Weights and Measures Act 1985 for offences related to weights and measures provisions, England  and Wales 2004-06 ( 1 2) 
			   Proceeded against 
			 2004 54 
			 2005 37 
			 2006 28 
			 (1 )These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete.  Notes: However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Court Proceedings Database—Office For Criminal Justice Reform 
		
	
	It is not possible to identify the number of these prosecutions relating solely to the use of imperial weights and measures from other prosecutions under the Weights and Measurement Act 1985.
	Enforcement of weights and measures legislation is undertaken by local authority Trading Standards Departments. Local authorities do not report the number of cases under investigations or awaiting trial under weights and measures legislation to my Department.

HEALTH

Abortion

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) second and  (b) third abortions were carried out in England and Wales in 2007.

Dawn Primarolo: The Annual Abortion Statistics for England and Wales 2007 will be published in June this year. Statistics for repeat abortions for 2006 and previous years are available in the "Annual Statistics, England and Wales", statistical bulletin copies of which are available in the Library.

Adult Audiology Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts purchased additional adult audiology services in each of the last two years.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 3 March 2008
	 This information is not held centrally.

Air Pollution: Health Hazards

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the levels of respiratory diseases in areas which are subjected to air quality management orders in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department has made no assessment of the levels of respiratory diseases in areas which are subjected to air quality management orders.

Alcohol Health Alliance

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent meetings he has had with representatives of the Alcohol Health Alliance.

Dawn Primarolo: On 12 December 2007, I met with Professor Ian Gilmore, who is President of the Royal College of Physicians and Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance. The meeting was to discuss the newly established Alliance and the action the Government are taking under its strategy "Safe, Sensible, Social. The next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy".
	On 21 November 2007, the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and I, met with alcohol retailers, alcohol manufacturers, enforcement agencies, representatives of local councils and doctors and academics specialising in alcohol issues, to discuss the problems of under-age drinking and binge-drinking. Professor Gilmore and other representatives of Alliance member organisations took part in this meeting.

Alcoholic Drinks: Death

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of deaths were alcohol-related for  (a) men and  (b) women in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: In 2006 the male death rate was 18.3 deaths per 100,000 population, and the female death rate was 8.8 deaths per 100,000 population.
	These latest figures for alcohol-related deaths show that much more needs to be done to address the chronic and acute harms that are caused by alcohol misuse. It is vital that we ensure that everyone understands the sensible drinking message and that the public drinks within the low risk levels.
	That is why "Safe. Sensible. Social.?the next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy", seeks to implement key actions to raise awareness, by:
	promoting a culture of sensible drinking;
	raising unit awareness—the Department of Health and the Home Office will jointly launch a much expanded, £10 million sustained national communications campaign in spring that will raise the public's knowledge of units of alcohol and ensure that everyone has the information they need to estimate how much they really do drink;
	providing more help for those who want to drink less, through a £3.2 million investment to establish a series of intervention and brief advice 'Trailblazer' projects in health and criminal justice settings to identify people who are drinking at harmful or potentially harmful levels and to offer them help and advice; and
	supporting harmful drinkers—the Government will support the development of a range of new kinds of information and advice aimed at people who drink at harmful levels and their families and friends. These will run alongside other kinds of support and advice from the national health service.
	We have put in place a new NHS indicator to measure the change in the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol related harm (Hospital Episode Statistics data)—the first ever national commitment to monitor how the NHS is tackling alcohol health harms. This indicator is expected to encourage primary care trusts to invest in earlier identification of people who drink too much linked to advice and support from general practitioners or hospitals—shown to be the best way of reducing the kind of 'everyday' drinking which over time leads to liver disease and other problems.
	 Notes:
	The ONS definition of alcohol-related deaths (which includes causes regarded as most directly due to alcohol consumption) was revised in 2006. Details can be found at: www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=14496 and link on this page to 'Alcohol-related deaths in the UK'. ONS has agreed with the GROS and NISRA that this definition will be used to report alcohol-related deaths for the United Kingdom.
	 Sources:
	Office for National Statistics (ONS), General Register Office for Scotland (GROS), Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (published on 25 January 2008).
	The introduction of the Tenth Revision of the "International Classification of Diseases" (ICD-10) for coding cause of death means that data following its implementation are not completely comparable with earlier years. Mortality data for England and Wales show that the introduction of ICD-10 resulted in a difference in the number of alcohol-related deaths below one per cent.
	Rates are based on deaths registered in each calendar year and are directly age-standardised using the European Standard Population.

Allergies: Health Services

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were referred on for diagnosis of a suspected allergy to  (a) allergy specialists,  (b) paediatricians,  (c) pathologists and  (d) dermatologists by GPs in 2007.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of people referred on by general practitioners for diagnosis of a suspected allergy is not collected.

Allergies: Health Services

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what work his Department has undertaken with Skills for Health to develop national occupational standards for staff involved in allergy services.

Ann Keen: The Department has commissioned Skills for Health to work with stakeholders to develop national occupational standards (NOS) for staff working with allergy. The NOS will be:
	informed by best practice in delivery of health care with allergy;
	based on patient-led standards ensuring high standards; and
	a relevant resource for the four countries of the United Kingdom and encompass the expressed need of the voluntary, independent and public sector health care services.

Allergies: Health Services

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has designated a lead strategic health authority for allergy services.

Ann Keen: The Department is currently exploring the feasibility of designating a lead strategic health authority (SHA) for allergy services with interested parties, including SHAs and specialised commissioning groups.

Ambulance Services: Manpower

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) target and  (b) actual number of ambulance personnel recruited in England was in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The Department does not set targets for ambulance personnel recruitment. The number of ambulance personnel recruited each year is not collected centrally. Local national health service organisations are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health community and plan the workforce they need. The numbers of qualified ambulance staff and support to ambulance staff working in the NHS in England over the last five years are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  NHS Hospital and Community Health Service ambulance staff by type—England as at 30 September each year 
			  headcount 
			2002  2003  2004  2005  2006( 1) 
			 Total ambulance staff  25,005 25,641 26,902 28,180 28,648 
			 Qualified ambulance staff  15,609 15,957 17,272 18,117 16,176 
			  Manager 606 751 789 773 614 
			  Emergency care practitioner 0 0 0 0 438 
			  Paramedic 7,147 7,241 7,536 8,311 8,222 
			  Ambulance technician 0 0 0 0 6,902 
			  Ambulance personnel (old definition) 7,856 7,965 8,947 9,033 0 
			 Support to ambulance staff  9,396 9,684 9,630 10,063 12,472 
			  Ambulance personnel (new definition) 0 0 0 0 4,630 
			  Trainee ambulance technician 0 0 0 0 1,829 
			  Trainee ambulance personnel 2,103 2,137 2,047 2,201 0 
			  General support 4,100 4,214 4,078 4,308 2,561 
			  Clerical and administrative 2,933 3,059 3,240 3,286 3,247 
			  Estates (maintenance and works) 260 274 265 268 205 
			 (1 )More accurate validation in 2006 has resulted in 9,858 duplicate records being identified and removed from the non-medical census. Although this represents less than one per cent, of total records, it should be taken into consideration when making historical comparisons.  Notes: In 2006 ambulance staff were collected under new, more detailed, occupation codes. As a result, qualified totals and support to ambulance staff totals are not directly comparable with previous years. These 9,858 duplicate records, broken down by main staff group, are: 3,370 qualified nurses; 1,818 qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff; 2,719 support to doctors and nurses; 368 support to scientific, therapeutic and technical staff; 1,562 NHS infrastructure support; and 21 in other areas. The impact of duplicates on full time equivalent numbers has been minimal with the removal of 507. The information on ambulance staff recruited or employed in Wales is not collected by the Department. The information will be available from the devolved administration in Wales.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the national standards for uptake of  (a) breast and  (b) cervical cancer screening were being achieved in (i) England and (ii) Gloucestershire on the latest dates for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Uptake of cervical screening is not measured, women make their own appointments following receipt of a reminder letter. Therefore, to provide consistency, the figures given as follows are for coverage.
	The national standard for breast screening coverage is 70 per cent., and the national standard for cervical screening coverage is 80 per cent. The following table gives coverage figures for England and Gloucestershire primary care trust (PCT), for 2005-06, for breast and cervical screening.
	
		
			  Breast screening programme: coverage of women aged 53-64( (1)(2)) , at 31 March 2006 
			   Eligible population( 1)  Number of women screened  Coverage (less than 3 years since last test)(percentage) 
			 England 3,633,181 2,756,716 75.9 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 44,798 36,242 80.9 
			 (1 )The coverage of the breast screening programme is the proportion of women resident and eligible that have had a test with a recorded result at least once in the previous three years. Coverage of the screening programme is best assessed using the 53 to 64 age group as women may be first called at any time between their 50th and 53rd birthdays. (2) The breast screening programme covers women aged 50 to 64 but it was extended to invite women aged 65 to 70 in April 2001. The last unit began inviting women aged 65 to 70 in April 2006 and full coverage should be achieved by 2008-09. (3) This is the number of women in the registered population less those recorded as ineligible.  Source: KC63, The Information Centre for health and social care. 
		
	
	
		
			  Cervical screening programme: coverage of women aged 25-64( (1),)  at 31 March 2007 
			   Eligible population( 2)  Coverage (less than 3.5 years since last adequate test) (percentage)  Coverage (less than 5 years since last adequate test) (percentage) 
			 England 13,192,905 69.4 79.2 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 144,927 66.3 82.1 
			 (1) National policy for the cervical screening programme is that eligible women aged 25 to 64 should be screened every three or five years (women aged 25 to 49 are screened every three years, those aged 50 to 64 every five years). (2) This is the number of women in the resident population less those with recall ceased for clinical reasons.  Source: KC53 Parts A2 and A3, The Information Centre for health and social care.

Cancer

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, when the national programme for advanced communication skills training for senior cancer health care professionals will be rolled out;
	(2)  further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, how he will ensure that general and community based clinicians and other health care staff who treat and support cancer patients have access to good communication skills training;
	(3)  further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, when a national course will be developed on specific communication skills for effective face-to-face communication with children and young people with cancer; and if he will make a statement on the pilot schemes.

Ann Keen: The national Advanced Communication Skills Training (ACST) programme has been rolled out, via cancer networks, over the last three years with over 1,500 senior health care professionals within cancer being trained and with 250 facilitators appointed to support delivery of the programme. The course has recently been reviewed and enhanced with the new programme being launched nationally from July 2008. Educational grants are being made to cancer networks to enable the introduction of the updated model locally.
	It is for cancer networks working in partnership with strategic health authorities, national health service trusts and postgraduate deaneries to put in place a sustainable process to assess, plan and review their workforce needs and the education and training of all staff linked to local and national priorities for cancer. A number of networks are already looking to deliver communication skills courses to community based and generalist staff groups and it is anticipated that the "End of Life Care Strategy", which is due for publication in summer 2008, will contain further information on communication skills training for the wider workforce.
	An adaptation of the ACST programme for children and young people with cancer were piloted and successfully evaluated in April 2007. When the updated model for the ACST programme is introduced in July 2008, training facilitators to deliver programmes for senior staff working in children's and young people's cancer services will commence.

Cancer: Screening

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase the uptake of screening for cancer; what initiatives are being undertaken in Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: It is important to remember that no screening method is perfect and anyone invited to be screened for cancer must be aware of both the benefit and harm of being screened and be able to make an informed decision on whether to take part or not.
	However, we do recognise the important role that screening plays and, as set out in the 'Cancer Reform Strategy', we are taking steps to build on and improve our existing screening services.
	This includes extending the age ranges for both breast and bowel screening, so that as many people as possible have the opportunity to be screened. We estimate that this will mean that an extra three million men and women will be screened over the next five years.
	It is for strategic health authorities working in partnership with their primary care trusts, local screening services and stakeholders to provide appropriate cancer screening services for their local populations, this includes promotion of local screening services.

Chronically Sick: Health Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of patients with chronic conditions supported in the community by telemedicine services in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect data on the number of patients with chronic conditions supported in the community by telemedicine services.

Departmental Publications

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated cost is of the  (a) Healthcare for London: Consulting the Capital and  (b) Our NHS, Our Future consultation.

Ann Keen: The estimated cost of the Healthcare for London: Consulting the Capital exercise is not held centrally; nor are the estimated costs of consultation undertaken by other strategic health authorities as part of the nationwide Our National Health Service, Our Future review. However, the estimated cost of Our NHS, Our Future activity and materials organised and produced nationally by the Department in 2007-08 is £2.5 million.

Doctors: Manpower

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors and nurses were employed by the NHS in  (a) the Nottingham primary care trust area and  (b) England in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2007.

Ann Keen: The number of doctors and nurses employed by the national health service in the Nottingham primary care trust (PCT) area and England in 1997-2001 and in 2006 is shown in the following table. The figures for 2007 will be published mid March 2008.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS): NHS staff in England and each specified organisation in each specified staff group as at 30 September each specified year 
			  Headcount 
			   1997  2001  2006 
			  England
			 Medical and dental staff(1) 60,230 68,484 90,243 
			 General practitioners (GPs)(2) 28,046 28,802 33,091 
			 
			 Qualified HCHS nursing staff 300,467 330,535 374,538 
			 GP practice nurses 18,389 19,846 23,797 
			  of which:
			  Total specified organisations
			 Medical and dental staff(1) — 1,038 1,257 
			 GPs(2) — 167 183 
			 
			 Qualified HCHS nursing staff — 4,067 4,349 
			 GP practice nurses — 144 145 
			 
			  Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
			 Medical and dental staff(1) — 1,030 1,246 
			 GPs(2) — n/a n/a 
			 
			 Qualified HCHS nursing staff — 3,442 3,759 
			 GP practice nurses — n/a n/a 
			 
			  Nottingham City PCT
			 Medical and dental staff(1) — 8 11 
			 GPs(2) — 167 183 
			 
			 Qualified HCHS nursing staff — 625 590 
			 GP practice nurses — 144 145 
			 n/a = Not applicable. (1) All hospital doctors but excludes medical hospital practitioners and medical clinical assistants, most of whom are GPs working part time in hospitals, and consequently they are included in GPs. (2) General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes GP providers and GP others.  Notes: 1. In 2005 the Queen's Medical Centre NHS Trust and Nottingham City Hospitals NHS Trust merged to form Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. 2001 figures are an aggregate of these two organisations. 2. Nottingham City PCT was formed in 2001 from part of Nottingham Community Health NHS Trust, along with four other PCTs. It is impossible to calculate figures for Nottingham City PCT prior to 2001. 3. More accurate validation processes in 2006 have resulted in the identification and removal of 9,858 duplicate non-medical staff records out of the total work force figure of 1.3 million in 2006. Earlier years' figures could not be accurately validated in this way and so will be slightly inflated. The level of inflation in earlier years' figures is estimated to be less than 1 per cent. of total across all non-medical staff groups for headcount figures (and negligible for full time equivalents). This should be taken into consideration when analysing trends over time.  Sources: 1. The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census. 2. The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census. 3. The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

Drug Resistant Tuberculosis

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 668-69W, on drug resistant tuberculosis, whether his Department has powers to detain an individual diagnosed with drug resistant tuberculosis; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not have powers to detain an individual diagnosed with drug resistant tuberculosis.
	The Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 contains provisions relating to notifiable diseases (which includes tuberculosis) that enable a local authority to apply to a justice of the peace for an order to remove an infected individual to hospital (section 37) and to detain an infected individual in hospital (section 38), where that individual could pose a serious risk of infection to others. Such orders may direct that the period of detention should last for a specific length of time, and a justice of the peace may renew an order where necessary.
	In practice, these powers are rarely used, and usually as a last resort when other efforts to encourage an individual with tuberculosis to comply with drug therapy have failed. The Health Protection Agency estimate that there are approximately 10 to 20 orders made under the 1984 Act provisions each year.

Emergency Services: Manpower

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency care practitioners worked in the NHS in each year since 2005.

Ann Keen: The role of emergency care practitioner came into being in 2005 and was included in the annual national health service census for the first time in 2006. In 2006 438 (431 full time equivalent) emergency care practitioners were recorded.

Food: Advertising

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Food and Drink Advertising and Promotion Forum is scheduled to  (a) next meet and  (b) publish codes on the promotion of unhealthy foods to children across non-broadcast media.

Dawn Primarolo: A date for the next Food and Drink Advertising and Promotion Forum meeting has yet to be set. The advertising industry's Committee on Advertising Practice (CAP) is responsible for the self-regulatory British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotions and Direct Marketing, which contains rules of the content of advertising in non-broadcast media. In July 2007, CAP updated this Code to tighten the rules governing the advertising of food and drink to children in line with new restrictions on broadcast advertising. The Department is working with key external stakeholders to address concerns about other forms of marketing including in store promotions and food packaging.

Food: Labelling

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions  (a) he and  (b) Ministers in his Department and  (c) officials have had with representatives of the food industry on the relationship between provision of information on (i) salt, (ii) sugar and (iii) fat content of foods and individuals' ability to manage diabetes, heart disease, stroke, obesity and other chronic medical conditions; what recent representations he has received about this issue; what discussions on the matter he has had with colleagues in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Officials in the Department of Health have regular discussions with the food industry and other Government Departments, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, about the provision of information to consumers that enables them to make healthier food choices. People with chronic diseases such as diabetes and stroke should seek advice from their general practitioner or other health care professional about their particular dietary needs.
	Food Standards Agency (FSA) officials are in regular dialogue with food industry representatives on this issue as part of discussions on the development and review of front of pack nutrition signpost labelling. The Department is encouraging the industry to provide traffic light colour coded front of pack labels for these nutrients, in line with the FSA's recommendations, which were developed to provide individuals with at-a-glance information to help them make healthier choices in line with their particular dietary needs. This is just one of a range of Government initiatives designed to improve diets, and in doing so, contribute to reducing the prevalence of diet-related diseases, such as obesity, coronary heart disease and some cancers.

Food: Salt

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent meetings  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have had with Consensus Action on Salt and Health on salt intake in diet and health.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department is aware of the work of the Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) and I spoke at an event organised by CASH during their annual National Salt Awareness Week in January this year. Officials have met CASH to discuss the review of the voluntary salt reduction targets, which is currently under way. CASH have also been present at 19 recent stakeholder meetings held by the Food Standards Agency to inform the Review.

Health and Social Services: Discrimination

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many complaints of age discrimination in healthcare were received by his Department in each of the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many complaints of age discrimination in social care were received by his Department in each of the last 12 months;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of progress towards the elimination of age discrimination in mental health services;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of progress towards the elimination of age discrimination in social care services;
	(5)  what assessment he has made of progress towards the elimination of age discrimination in health services;
	(6)  what steps his Department has taken in the last 12 months to prevent age discrimination in the provision of healthcare.

Ivan Lewis: Action to address age discrimination in the provisions of health services and social care was a central aspect of the 'National Service Framework (NSF) for Older People', published in 2001. Since then there has been steady progress in eliminating age discrimination including an increase in the proportion of older people receiving intensive help to maintain a high quality of life independently at home rather than in residential care. In addition, specialist services for age related needs such as stroke and falls continue to improve and increasing numbers of older people are taking advantage of health promotion opportunities, for example stopping smoking.
	Local national health service organisations and social services departments are responsible for the management and investigation of complaints, including those of age discrimination; as such, this information is not collected centrally by the Department.
	We are committed to the principle of mental health services that meet people's needs regardless of their age. As new policy is developed it is assessed for its potential impact of different age groups, and existing policy and practice is kept under review.

Health Services: Children

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps the Government have taken to improve health care services for children.

Ann Keen: We have initiated a full programme of work across local authorities and primary care trusts to improve services for children with disabilities following the publication of "Aiming High for disabled children", a copy of which is available in the Library. We have also set up a comprehensive child and adolescent mental health service for children with mental health needs as part of the wider child health and wellbeing public service agreement target.

Health Services: Greater London

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's guidance on Supportive Palliative Care has been fully implemented in Leyton and Wanstead.

Ivan Lewis: It is for individual primary care trusts (PCTs), including Redbridge and Waltham Forest PCTs, within the national health service to commission services for their resident population, including end of life care, based on assessments of local needs and priorities. The NHS has been required to set out action plans to achieve compliance with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommendations on supportive and palliative care. Implementation is being monitored by strategic health authorities (SHAs).
	Information on the rate of progress locally can be obtained through the London SHA.

Health Trainers

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health trainers there are in  (a) each primary care trust and  (b) the NHS.

Dawn Primarolo: In September 2007 there were 1,282 qualified health trainers (individuals not whole time equivalents) employed, funded, or supported by the national health service in primary care trust (PCT) areas. The following table shows the distribution between PCTs.
	
		
			  Number of health trainers as at September 2007 
			 PCT  
			 Bassetlaw 0 
			 Derby City 0 
			 Derbyshire County 58 
			 Leicester City 7 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland 0 
			 Lincolnshire 7 
			 Northamptonshire 0 
			 Nottingham City 21 
			 Nottinghamshire County 0 
			 Bedfordshire 16 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 
			 East and North Hertfordshire 0 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney 4 
			 Luton Teaching 32 
			 Mid Essex 0 
			 Norfolk 10 
			 North East Essex 30 
			 Peterborough 8 
			 South East Essex 0 
			 South West Essex 0 
			 Suffolk 0 
			 West Essex 0 
			 West Hertfordshire. 0 
			 Barking and Dagenham 7 
			 Barnet 0 
			 Bexley Care Trust 0 
			 Brent Teaching 14 
			 Bromley 0 
			 Camden 5 
			 City and Hackney Teaching 2 
			 Croydon 0 
			 Ealing 0 
			 Enfield 11 
			 Greenwich Teaching 23 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 0 
			 Haringey Teaching 0 
			 Harrow 0 
			 Havering 2 
			 Hillingdon 0 
			 Hounslow 40 
			 Islington 2 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 5 
			 Kingston 0 
			 Lambeth 17 
			 Lewisham 17 
			 Newham 18 
			 Redbridge 0 
			 Richmond and Twickenham 0 
			 Southwark 20 
			 Sutton and Merton 0 
			 Tower Hamlets 26 
			 Waltham Forest 0 
			 Wandsworth Teaching 0 
			 Westminster 10 
			 County Durham 42 
			 Darlington 0 
			 Gateshead 14 
			 Hartlepool 4 
			 Middlesbrough 0 
			 Newcastle 16 
			 North Tees 14 
			 North Tyneside 15 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 11 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 3 
			 South Tyneside 12 
			 Sunderland Teaching. 22 
			 Ashton 0 
			 Blackburn and Darwen Teaching 1 
			 Blackpool 13 
			 Bolton 30 
			 Bury 13 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire 10 
			 Central Lancashire 12 
			 Cumbria 0 
			 East Lancashire 22 
			 Halton and St. Helens 41 
			 Heywood 0 
			 Knowsley 7 
			 Leigh and Wigan 13 
			 Liverpool 15 
			 Manchester 17 
			 Middleton and Rochdale 11 
			 North Lancashire 0 
			 Oldham 8 
			 Salford Teaching 8 
			 Sefton 15 
			 Stockport 0 
			 Tameside and Glossop 12 
			 Trafford 0 
			 Warrington 0 
			 Western Cheshire 0 
			 Wirral. 7 
			 Offender health (spread across PCTs) 80 
			 Berkshire East 8 
			 Berkshire West 6 
			 Buckinghamshire 0 
			 Hampshire 10 
			 Isle of Wight NHS 20 
			 Milton Keynes 0 
			 Oxfordshire 6 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching 11 
			 Southampton City 13 
			 Brighton and Hove City 48 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald 0 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent 0 
			 Hastings and Rother 0 
			 Medway Teaching 0 
			 Surrey 8 
			 West Kent 0 
			 West Sussex. 2 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 0 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 0 
			 Bristol 8 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 5 
			 Devon 7 
			 Dorset 0 
			 Gloucestershire 0 
			 North Somerset 0 
			 Plymouth Teaching 0 
			 Somerset 0 
			 South Gloucestershire 0 
			 Swindon 0 
			 Torbay Care Trust 3 
			 Wiltshire 0 
			 Birmingham East and North 4 
			 Coventry Teaching 0 
			 Dudley 0 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching 4 
			 Herefordshire 0 
			 North Staffordshire 0 
			 Sandwell 3 
			 Shropshire County 0 
			 Solihull 0 
			 South Birmingham 0 
			 South Staffordshire 6 
			 Stoke on Trent 0 
			 Telford and Wrekin 3 
			 Walsall Teaching 13 
			 Warwickshire 4 
			 Wolverhampton City 0 
			 Worcestershire 0 
			 Barnsley 6 
			 Bradford and Airedale 40 
			 Calderdale 2 
			 Doncaster 12 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 6 
			 Hull 16 
			 Kirklees 11 
			 Leeds 27 
			 North East Lincolnshire 11 
			 North Lincolnshire 0 
			 North Yorkshire and York 0 
			 Rotherham 32 
			 Sheffield 0 
			 Wakefield District. 27 
			 Total 1,282 
			  Notes:  1. Not whole time equivalents breakdown not collected centrally.  2. Not all are directly employed by the NHS locally (breakdown not collected centrally).  3. Not all are funded solely by the NHS e.g. joint funding with local authority (breakdown not collected centrally)   Source:  The health trainer national implementation team periodic return September 2007.

Hereditary Diseases

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of information produced by the NHS and aimed at the public on the risk of genetic disorders in children of consanguineous unions.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has not made any assessment of information produced by local national health service organisations on consanguineous marriage and the risk of genetic disorders to the public.

Incontinence

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2008,  Official Report, column 343W, on incontinence, how many letters his Department received commenting on the proposed changes to Part IX of the Drug Tariff from  (a) right hon. and hon. Members and  (b) others in each year since 2004; and whether the views expressed in those letters will be taken into account when he considers the options for Arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances and related services to primary care.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 22 February 2008
	The Department has received a large volume of correspondence on stoma and incontinence issues, however due to the way in which correspondence is recorded the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The views expressed in these letters have been and will continue to be considered by the Department in its review of the arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff.

Lung Cancer: Nurses

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the role of lung cancer clinical nurse specialists in the patient journey and in multi-disciplinary teams.

Ann Keen: In 1998, the Department issued guidance on "Improving Outcomes in Lung Cancer". The Guidance identified clinical nurse specialists as core members of the lung cancer multi-disciplinary team.
	The guidance has since been fully implemented across the national health service.
	The most recent round of peer review (2004-07) found that for lung cancer, almost 95 per cent. of multi-disciplinary teams had lung cancer nurse specialist provision at the time of the review.
	In February 2005, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published clinical guidelines on the treatment and diagnosis of lung cancer. The guideline recommended that all cancer units/centres should have one or more trained lung cancer nurse specialists.
	NHS compliance with NICE clinical guidelines was assessed for the first time as part of the Healthcare Commission's health checks for 2006-07. Self-assessment by NHS trusts showed that 90 per cent. are making excellent, good or fair progress towards implementing NICE'S clinical guidelines.
	The results of this exercise has informed performance management activity by strategic health authorities. Detailed results of the latest 2006-07 exercise can be found on Healthcare Commission's website at:
	www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/healthcareproviders/serviceproviderinformation/annualhealthcheck/overviewofresults2006/2007.cfm.
	The 2007-08 health check will assesses how well the NHS has continued to perform during the financial year from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. The Healthcare Commission's website contains information about the health check for 2007-08 at:
	www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/healthcareproviders/serviceproviderinformation/annualhealthcheck/annualhealthcheck2007/2008.cfm

Maternity Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government plan to take to improve maternity services.

Ann Keen: In April 2007, we set out our plans for improving maternity care in "Maternity Matters: Choice, access and continuity of care in a safe service", a copy of which is available in the Library. In the autumn of 2007, as part of the public service agreement (PSA) announcement, we introduced a PSA maternity indicator to encourage early access to maternity care, which we believe will lead to improved outcomes for mothers and babies.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 25 January 2008, on the future availability of primary medical care to non EU visitors.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 29 February 2008
	 The letter from the hon. Member was answered on 27 February 2008.

Mental Health Services

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients treated for a mental illness in 2007 received NHS counselling and therapy services; and what steps his Department is taking to increase availability of such services.

Ivan Lewis: The information about numbers of patients who received national health service counselling and therapy is not collected centrally. The Government are investing annually in expanding this provision with funding rising to £173 million in 2010-11. As a first step, the Department is committed to expanding these therapies in 20 primary care trusts in the 2008-09 financial year.

Mental Health: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of those who committed suicide in Essex  (a) had been previously treated and  (b) were under treatment at the time of their death for mental health problems in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The latest information for the former Essex strategic health authority (SHA), has been set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Year of death  Number of suicides general population  Number of inquiry cases  Proportion of inquiry cases (percentage) 
			 2001 125 39 31 
			 2002 144 39 27 
			 2003 155 49 32 
			 2004 160 45 28 
			 2005 132 42 32 
			 Total 716 214 30 
			  Notes:  1. Figures include open verdicts and suicide verdicts.  2. Inquiry cases are those suicide cases who had contact with mental health services in the 12 months prior to death.  3. Essex SHA merged with Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA, and Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA in July 2006, to form the current East of England SHA.  4. 2005 is the latest year for which data in question is available.  Source:  The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness.

Mental Health: Legislation

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that the new mental health advocacy services are put in place before the introduction of community treatment orders under the Mental Health Act 2007.

Ivan Lewis: The main provisions of the 2007 Mental Health Act, including those for community treatment orders, are being introduced from October 2008. Due to the need to develop suitable training and commissioning arrangements for independent mental health advocates the Department aims to implement the provisions of the Mental Health Act in respect of independent mental health advocacy from April 2009.

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much additional funding he has allocated to the monitoring of service provision and consultation with patients and their representative groups under the Musculoskeletal Service Framework.

Ann Keen: Allocations to primary care trusts (PCTS) provide them with funding to deliver all national and local priorities. Expenditure on implementation of the musculoskeletal service framework will depend on local decisions on how to implement this and other priorities.

National Institute for Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the budget is for the National Institute for Mental Health in England in 2008-09;
	(2)  how many  (a) staff and  (b) full-time equivalent staff are employed by the National Institute for Mental Health in England;
	(3)  what objectives have been achieved by the National Institute for Mental Health in England since its foundation.

Ivan Lewis: The National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) was established in 2001 as a nationally co-ordinated but regionally focused organisation to support local implementation of mental health priorities across health and social care. NIMHE has provided a dedicated focus on policy implementation and support for service improvement in relation to a wide range of mental health issues that challenge services and commissioners across health and social care. Much of NIMHE's work has been done at a local level through its regional development centres and the objectives for this work are agreed with and monitored by local stakeholders in the national health service, local authorities and the third sector.
	The resources supporting NIMHE are predominantly contained in the funding transferred from the Department to the NHS within the 'NHS Bundle'. For 2008-09, the planned resource allocation from the NHS bundle is £19.375 million.
	There are 108, or 90.64 whole-time equivalent, staff either with full or fixed term contracts are directly employed on NIMHE work programmes and another 113, or 59 whole-time equivalent, are working on a seconded or temporary basis on specific projects.
	Approximately one third of costs go on staff, most of whom work in regional development centres. The majority of expenditure is used to fund policy implementation and capacity development initiatives at national, regional and local levels, for example supporting the delivery of improving access to psychological therapies pilots, delivering race equality community engagement projects, promoting new ways of working among mental health staff.

NHS Cleaning Summit

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2235W, on the NHS cleaning summit, whether the date for the summit has been finalised.

Ann Keen: The date of the cleaning summit was finalised and took place on 28 February 2008.

NHS: Crimes of Violence

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent  (a) discussions he has had and  (b) and representations he has received on withholding non-essential treatment from abusive patients by doctors and nurses.

Ann Keen: The national health service security management service (NHS SMS) meets quarterly with key stakeholders representing NHS managers and staff to discuss work on tackling violence and abuse. When developing the guidance entitled 'Non Physical Assault Explanatory Notes 2004', the NHS SMS consulted with the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing. This guidance recommends that health bodies develop local procedures for withholding treatment from patients who have been abusive or violent towards NHS staff. No specific representations have been received by the NHS SMS on the topic of withholding non-essential treatment from abusive patients.

NHS: Crimes of Violence

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents there were of  (a) physical,  (b) verbal and  (c) sexual abuse and assault of nurses, doctors and other hospital staff in each of the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: In April 2003, the National Health Service Security Management Service (NHS SMS) was created and assumed responsibility for tackling violence against NHS staff. Since 2004-05, the NHS SMS has collected data on the number of physical assaults reported against NHS staff in England for the categories shown in the following table. The information is not available in the categories of nurses, doctors and other hospital staff.
	The number of physical assaults against NHS staff reported in the period 2004-05 to 2006-07 are in the following table.
	
		
			  Reported assaults by sector  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Ambulance service 1,333 1,104 1,006 
			 Acute/foundation trusts 10,758 11,100 9,685 
			 Primary care 5,192 5,145 3,445 
			 Mental health/learning disability 43,097 41,345 41,569 
			 Other (Special health authority) 5 1 4 
			 Total 60,385 58,695 55,709

NHS: Learning Disability

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with learning disabilities were employed by each NHS trust in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not held centrally.

NHS: Public Participation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to give local involvement networks  (a) a larger budget than patient forums and  (b) year-on-year budgetary increases.

Ann Keen: The Department received an allocation of £84 million over three years from HM Treasury to fund the establishment and costs incurred by local involvement networks and has no plans to bid for any further funds. The allocations to local authorities (LAs) were based on two elements used in many similar cases to take account of key geographical factors such as deprivation, sparsity, area costs, etc. The first was a general baseline payment of £60,000 awarded to each LA. The second was calculated according to the Relative Needs Formula, which is used to allocate funding to LAs in other areas of work.

NHS: Public Participation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to require the National Centre for Involvement to provide information, advice and learning opportunities to patients, NHS service users and local involvement network members to improve consultation at national, regional and local level in the NHS.

Ann Keen: The NHS Centre for Involvement (NCI) is a consortium of organisations comprising the University of Warwick, Centre for Public Scrutiny and Long Term Conditions Alliance. The NCI has been contracted by the Department to promote more effective patient and public involvement and consultation and to provide support, advice and guidance to stakeholders in this respect.
	The NCI is delivering a major programme of work to support those involved in local involvement networks, specifically local authorities as well as voluntary and community sector partners. The NCI is also responsible more generally for working with national health service staff and organisations to look at how they involve patients and the public in improving health services.

Nurses: Schools

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many qualified and practising school nurses there were in England in each year since 1997-98.

Ann Keen: The annual national health service workforce census collected accurate information on the number of school nurses employed by the NHS in England for the first time in 2004. The number of school nurses from 2004 to 2006 is shown in the following table.
	The 2006 census showed there were 2,968 qualified nurses in the school nursing area of work, an increase of 559 or 23.2 per cent. since 2004. Of these there were 1,129 school nurses with a post registration school nurse qualification. This is an increase of 273 or 31.89 per cent. since 2004.
	
		
			  School nurse numbers 
			  England 
			   2004  2005  2006( 1)  Increase 2004-06  Percentage increase since 2004 
			  Headcount  
			 School nursing service nurses 2,409 2,887 2,968 559 23.20 
			  of which:  
			 Nurses with a post registration school nursing qualification 856 943 1,129 273 31.89 
			   
			  FTE  
			 School nursing service nurses 1,619 1,913 2,053 433 26.76 
			  of which:  
			 Nurses with a post registration school nursing qualification 607 665 815 208 34.31 
			 (1) More accurate validation processes in 2006 have resulted in the identification and removal of 9,858 duplicate non-medical staff records out of the total workforce figure of 1.3 million in 2006. Earlier years' figures could not be accurately validated in this way and so will be slightly inflated. The level of inflation in earlier years' figures is estimated to be less than one per cent. of total across all non-medical staff groups for headcount figures (and negligible for full-time equivalents). This should be taken into consideration when analysing trends over time.  Source:  The Information Centre for health and social care, Non-Medical Workforce Census, general and personal medical services statistics.

Organs: Donors

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what EU member states he has assessed for benchmarks for the performance of organ donation; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The report of the Organ Donation Taskforce, 'Organs for Transplant' includes data from Spain, France, Italy, Holland, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia, Denmark, and Greece. In addition, the Taskforce met the chair of an Australian Organ Donation Taskforce, and considered data from the United States, Latvia, Finland, Croatia, Norway and Switzerland.
	Given the experience of other countries and in particular that lessons from the Spanish system have been successfully implemented in Italy and several South America countries, the Taskforce believe that implementation of their recommendations will achieve a 50 per cent. increase in organ donation after death in the United Kingdom within five years.

Palliative Care: Children

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department proposes to allocate to primary care trusts for  (a) children's palliative care and  (b) disabled children's services under the Comprehensive Spending Review for 2008-09; and what guidance has been issued on the allocation of such funding.

Ivan Lewis: holding 18 February 2008
	Allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) for 2008-09 have already been announced. General allocations are not broken down into funding for individual services, and it is for PCTs to decide how best to resource the priorities set out in the national health service operating framework for 2008-09 and other national strategies.
	In section two of the operating framework under 'Priorities' it states
	"disabled children: identifying actions and setting local targets on improving the experience of, and ranges of services for, children with disabilities and complex health needs and their families. This includes significantly increasing the range of short breaks, improving the quality and experience of palliative care services, improving access to therapies and supporting effective transition to adult services."
	On 19 February 2008, we launched a first ever national strategy for children's palliative care "Better Care: Better Lives". The strategy will assist local commissioners, providers and regulators in devising local strategies to enable every child and young person with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition access to high-quality, family centred, sustainable care and support with services provided in a setting of choice according to the child's and family's wishes. It sets out clear expectations for improving choice, access and continuity of care, and seeks to place palliative care at the centre of local children's service provision.
	We also announced an additional £20 million in funding to enable the Children's Hospices and Hospice at Home grant to continue in 2009-10 and 2010-11 with £10 million available in each year.

Palliative Care: Greater London

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data are used by commissioners of health care to determine the need for specialist palliative and neurological care in Leyton and Wanstead.

Ivan Lewis: It is for individual primary care trusts (PCTs), including Redbridge and Waltham Forest PCTs, within the national health service to commission services for their resident population, including end of life care and neurological care, based on an assessment of local needs and priorities. Strategic health authorities are responsible for monitoring PCTs to ensure they are effective and efficient.
	The NHS operating framework for 2007-08 asked PCTs, working with local authorities, to undertake a baseline review of their end of life care services. These will allow local commissioners to assess current services, identify gaps and obtain a much clearer view of local need, which will inform local commissioning.
	Regarding neurological care, the information strategy published alongside the "National Service Framework for Long-term (Neurological) Conditions" outlines commissioners' information requirements and a series of local and national actions designed to meet those needs.

Paramedical Staff: Crimes of Violence

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many members of ambulance teams were assaulted while on duty in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: In April 2003 the National Health Service Security Management Service (NHS SMS) was created and assumed responsibility for tackling violence against NHS staff. The NHS SMS has collected data on the number of physical assaults against NHS ambulance staff in England since 2004-05.
	The number of physical assaults against ambulance staff reported in the period 2004-05 to 2006-07 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of reported physical assaults against ambulance staff 
			 2004-05 1,333 
			 2005-06 1,104 
			 2006-07 1,006

Primary Care Trusts: Agency Nurses

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many agency  (a) nurses,  (b) medical staff and  (c) midwives were employed in each of the last three years, broken down by primary care trust (PCT); and how much each PCT spent (i) in each year and (ii) per agency worker in each category in each such year.

Ann Keen: We do not collect data on the number of agency staff. However data is collected on the cost of agency staff.
	Tables have been placed in the Library which show the spend in each primary care trust (PCT) and national health service trust. The data is taken from the NHS trust and PCT financial returns for 2004-05—2006-07. The tables contain spend on non-NHS medical staff; non-NHS nursing midwifery and health visiting staff and the total non-NHS staff spend.
	Due to the PCT reorganisation in 2006, data is presented for the old PCT structure for 2004-05 and 2005-06, and the new PCT structure for 2006-07.
	Foundation trusts (FTs) do not submit financial returns and therefore are not included, except when they obtained FT status part way through the financial year, in which case data are submitted for the portion of the year before they obtained FT status.
	As we do not have data on the number of agency staff, it is not possible to calculate the cost per head of staff.

Prostate Cancer: Screening

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent comparative assessment he has made of levels of prostate cancer screening in  (a) England,  (b) other parts of the UK and  (c) other EU member states; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: holding answer 7 February 2008
	Currently there is no reliable method for screening for prostate cancer, therefore we have made no assessment of the levels of prostate cancer screening in England, the United Kingdom or other European Union countries.

Psychiatry: North East

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many psychiatric beds there were in each NHS mental health trust in the North East in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the rate of occupancy of psychiatric beds in each NHS mental health trust in the North East was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The following table shows the number of psychiatric beds and their occupancy levels in each mental health trust in the North East for the years 2002-07.
	The reduction in mental health bed numbers reflects the increasing provision by the national health service in England of treatment for patients with mental health conditions in primary care and community settings, without the need for hospital admissions.
	The figures do not include the number of mental illness beds contracted to the national health service by the independent sector as this information is not centrally available.
	
		
			  Number of psychiatric beds in each mental health trust in the North East 2002-07 
			  Available 
			2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Code  Name  Mental illness  Learning disability  Mental illness  Learning disability  Mental illness  Learning disability  Mental illness  Learning disability 
			 RNP Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland Mental Health NHS Trust 727 0 675 0 653 0 620 0 
			 RM6 Northgate and Prudhoe NHS Trust 0 357 0 372 0 364 0 312 
			 RW9 South of Tyne and Wearside Mental Health NHS Trust 518 28 509 12 490 12 477 12 
			 5KG South Tyneside PCT (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 0 39 0 22 
			 RTC County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust 435 128 425 112 408 76 394 52 
			 RVX Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust 516 106 489 117 482 113 474 115 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage occupancy 
			2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Code  Name  Mental illness  Learning disability  Mental illness  Learning disability  Mental illness  Learning disability  Mental illness  Learning disability 
			 RNP Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland Mental Health NHS Trust 83.1 0 84.2 0 84.1 0 85.6 0 
			 RM6 Northgate and Prudhoe NHS Trust 0 97.4 0 85.9 0 83.8 0 91.9 
			 RW9 South of Tyne and Wearside Mental Health NHS Trust 75.3 88.0 83.2 71.2 83.9 61.7 77.3 81.3 
			 5KG South Tyneside PCT (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 0 85.6 0 70.1 
			 RTC County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust 89.5 88.8 86.5 75.9 85.9 80.3 86.9 71.4 
			 RVX Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust 94.4 92.2 92.9 86.6 90.6 89.6 86.8 87.5 
		
	
	
		
			2006-07  2006-07 
			  Code  Name  Mental illness  (available)  Learning disability  (available)  Mental illness  (percentage occupancy)  Learning disability  (percentage occupancy) 
			 RX4 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust 1,092 286 82.2 86.2 
			 5KG South Tyneside PCT 0 7 0 70.0 
			 RX3 Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust 841 171 88.5 84.4 
			 (1) South Tyneside PCT first submitted KH03 data in 2004-05 
		
	
	The following organisations merged in April 2006:
	
		
			  Code  Name 
			  Old organisation  
			 RTC County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust 
			 RVX Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust 
			  New organisation  
			 RX3 Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust 
			   
			  Old Organisation  
			 RNP Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland Mental Health NHS Trust 
			 RW9 South of Tyne and Wearside Mental Health NHS Trust 
			 RM6 Northgate and Prudhoe NHS Trust 
			  New Organisation  
			 RX4 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust 
			  Source: Department of Health KH03

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people currently ineligible for social care who will become eligible as a result of implementation of  (a) the measures in the review of access to services and  (b) the proposals to be contained in the forthcoming green paper.

Ivan Lewis: The review of eligibility has been requested because of the varying approaches being taken by local authorities (LAs) to eligibility to services. Some authorities are helping many more people than others even with tighter eligibility criteria, others are developing alternative new preventative services which aim to reduce the numbers of people who need care services. The review will look at the experiences across England and look to how we might better set a framework that will assist all LAs in getting the best outcomes for people who have care or support needs. Until the review is completed, we will not be able to estimate how many people will be helped or the way in which they might be helped.
	The Government have not yet published the Green Paper. It is therefore not possible to say what impact any proposals that may be contained in the Green Paper will have on the number of people who are eligible for services'.

Social Services: Manpower

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) improvement plans,  (b) warning letters,  (c) statutory requirement notices, (d) changes to conditions of registration and  (e) cancellations of registration were imposed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) in each category of care in each year since CSCI was established.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is shown in the following tables, which have been provided by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI).
	We have been informed by the CSCI that it is unable to provide information relating to warning letters or improvement plans, as these are not specifically recorded in its registration and inspection database. Similarly, it is unable to identify imposed changes to conditions of registration, as the database does not make the distinction between changes to registration made by the service provider and changes which have been imposed by CSCI.
	CSCI is currently developing a new enforcement database system. This will enable reporting of the number of warning letters and imposed changes to conditions of registration, but will not include historical data.
	
		
			  Number of statutory enforcement notices issued to adult care services in each financial year 
			   Financial year  
			  Type of service  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  Total 
			 Home care agency 2 1 6 39 48 
			 Nurses agency 2 1 1 8 12 
			 Nursing home 113 86 136 142 477 
			 Residential care home 229 216 221 359 1,025 
			 Total 346 304 364 548 1,562 
			  Source: CSCI registration and inspection database, 27 February 2008. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of immediate requirement notices issued to adult care services in each financial year 
			   Financial year  
			  Type of service  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  Total 
			 Adult placement schemes — — — 3 3 
			 Care home-non medical 3 2 4 2 11 
			 Home care agency 7 86 182 194 469 
			 Nurses agency 27 19 15 11 72 
			 Nursing home 1,288 1,183 1,005 693 4,169 
			 Residential care home 3,430 3,175 2,355 1,741 10,701 
			 Total 4,755 4,465 3,561 2,644 15,425 
			  Source: CSCI registration and inspection database, 27 February 2008. 
		
	
	
		
			  Non-urgent cancellations of registration of adult care services 
			  Type of service  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  Total 
			 Home care agency — 7 14 21 
			 Nurses agency 8 6 10 24 
			 Nursing home 8 7 6 21 
			 Residential care home 16 26 27 69 
			 Total 32 46 57 135 
			  Source: CSCI registration and inspection database, 27 February 2008. 
		
	
	
		
			  Urgent cancellations of registration of adult care services 
			  Type of service  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  Total 
			 Residential care home 5 — 3 8 
			 Nursing home — 1 — 1 
			 Home care agency — 1 — 1 
			  Source: CSCI Legal Services

Social Services: Manpower

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) responsible managers and  (b) registered persons were (i) cautioned and (ii) prosecuted by the Commission for Social Care Inspection in each year since the Commission was established.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested, which has been provided by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), is shown in the following table. We have been informed by the CSCI that it is unable to differentiate from its records whether the figures relate to cautions or prosecutions of registered managers or registered providers.
	
		
			   Cautions  Prosecutions 
			 2004-05 0 5 
			 2005-06 19 4 
			 2006-07 9 2 
			 2007-08 (1)12 (1)3 
			 (1) Numbers to date.  Source:  CSCI registration and inspection database

Tranquillisers

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether tranquillisers are used by  (a) the National Treatment Agency and  (b) drug action teams as treatments for substance misusers for a period of more than two weeks.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Treatment Agency (NTA) is a special health authority, created by the Government in 2001 to ensure that local drug partnerships improve the availability, capacity and effectiveness of treatment for the drug misusers in their area and does not directly provide treatment.
	Drug action teams are local partnerships responsible for the commissioning of local treatment systems in their respective areas and do not directly provide treatment.
	Treatment providers may, based on clinical assessment choose to prescribe tranquillisers in the treatment of dependence to illegal drugs. To support them in their decision making the Department published in 2007 the "Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management".

Tranquillisers

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients who are addicted only to tranquillisers prescribed by their doctors were treated by the National Treatment Agency Service in each year from 1999 to 2006.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Treatment Agency is a special health authority, created by the Government in 2001 to improve the availability, capacity and effectiveness of treatment for drug misuse in England and does not directly provide drug treatment. Drug treatment which involves prescribing is provided by appropriately qualified clinicians within the national health service.

Transplant Surgery: Finance

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was allocated to  (a) liver transplant units,  (b) pancreas transplant centres and  (c) cardiothoracic transplant centres in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Heart and lung transplant services  Liver transplant services  Pancreas transplant services 
			 1997-98 (1)— 26.6 (1)— 
			 1998-99 (1)— 27.4 (1)— 
			 1999-2000 (1)— 30.4 (1)— 
			 2000-01 (1)— 33.6 (1)— 
			 2001-02 (1)— 35.5 (1)— 
			 2002-03 30.1 39.5 (1)— 
			 2003-04 31.3 41. 1 (1)— 
			 2004-05 33.8 44.6 3.2 
			 2005-06 35.7 46.3 5.5 
			 2006-07 37.9 50.4 8.6 
			 (1 )Not nationally commissioned.

Wheelchairs

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what information was requested from wheelchair services as part of the Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchair Services Programme data gathering exercise; and if he will place the results in the Library;
	(2)  when he expects to announce a decision on the new model for wheelchair services; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Consideration is being given to the findings and recommendations of the Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchair Services programme in relation to wheelchair services with a view to confirming the next steps in due course.
	The request for information was submitted using the Review of Central Returns process. The data collection templates have been placed in the Library. The results of the data gathering exercise, some of which is commercially sensitive and is not currently available, will form part of the business case which is currently under consideration by Ministers.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Broadband

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many and what percentage of rural households in Yorkshire and the Humber have access to  (a) dial-up,  (b) broadband and  (c) high speed broadband internet connections; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps are being taken to ensure the availability of high speed broadband service to those living in rural and remote areas.

Malcolm Wicks: This remains an important issue which Government are engaged with and has been working with the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG) and Ofcom to look at the future barriers of high speed broadband access to those living in cities, towns, rural and remote areas.
	Business and Competitiveness Minister (Baroness Vadera) announced on 22 February, an independent review to look at a set of focused questions around the potential barriers to deployment of high speed broadband.
	The review, led by Francesco Caio, will look at whether there are steps the Government might take to facilitate market investment in high speed networks.
	More information on the review can be found at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/sectors/telecoms/telecomsbroadband/page10034.html

Companies: Regulation

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his policy is on reducing the burden of regulation for small and medium-sized companies; and what regional considerations apply.

Patrick McFadden: Government undertook an exercise, supported by industry, to measure the administrative burdens that impact businesses of all sizes as a result of complying with regulations. Upon the completion of this exercise, 25 per cent. net targets were set to reduce this burden.
	In December 2007, 19 simplification plans were published, showing more than 700 measures to reduce the burdens of complying with regulations. Over 280 of these measures have already been delivered saving businesses £800 million per year.
	Examples of, include:
	 Simpler law for smaller businesses (BERR):
	Smaller businesses stand to benefit from substantial rewrite of Company Law. Coupled with better guidance, new provisions are expected to lower third party costs and make compliance easier. Conservative estimate of £2 million annual savings delivered.
	 Changes to Small Business Rate Relief (Communities):
	Small firms eligible for Small Business Rate Relief no longer have to register for relief annually. £3 million annual savings delivered, and expected to rise to £11 million by 2010.
	 Small Firms audit requirements (Financial Services Authority):
	Removed the need for 3,400 small firms to have a statutory audit, saving £12.9 million per year.
	Copies of these plans are available online at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/bre/policy/simplifying-existing-regulation/simplification-plans/2007/page44068.html

Consultants

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Stroud of 30 January 2008,  Official Report, column 418W, on consultants, on what projects consultants were engaged by the East of England Development Agency in each of the last three years; and what the fee paid for each project was.

Patrick McFadden: The figures supplied in the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) of 30 January 2008,  Official Report, column 418W, were concerned with consultants engaged by EEDA for corporate projects and corporate areas of work and the following information provides a further breakdown of these consultancy costs and project areas for the years 2004-07.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Project  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  Total for project 
			 Economic analysis, evaluation and research — 265,195 220,447 485,642 
			 Economic modelling and scenario planning 16,086 19,422 51,695 87,203 
			 Regional Intelligence Centre — 8,483 21,520 30,003 
			 Transport/planning advice and analysis — 116,959 4,847 121,806 
			 Environmental research and analysis — 29,439 — 29,439 
			 Sustainability/Demand-led appraisal 15,438 26,626 19,279 61,343 
			 Project management consultancy 31,250 50,819 82,255 164,324 
			 Property advice — — 48,265 48,265 
			 Public Affairs and Communications Advice 15,107 51,608 39,429 106,144 
			 Market Research 24,750 — — 24,750 
			 Organisational support and development advice 77,338 110,731 25,939 214,008 
			 ICT support and development 29,012 10,703 33,008 72,723 
			 EEDA intranet design 6,000 1,840 8,590 16,430 
			 Taxation advice 11,500 21,820 7,851 41,171 
			 Total 226,481 713,645 563,125 1,503,251

Departmental Equality

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of the duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Patrick McFadden: BERR's disability equality scheme was published in November 2007. This was a revision of the former DTPs scheme, updated to reflect the machinery of Government changes of June 2007. At the same time summaries and conclusions of the steps taken to fulfil the obligations to the disability equality duty were updated in the action plan and covered the period since the DTI scheme was published in December 2006.
	BERR's disability equality scheme can be found on the Department's website at
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file42734.pdf.
	BERR has made progress in embedding the scheme across the Department and the 2008 annual report on the scheme will appear within the next BERR departmental annual report. We are also in the process of preparation to complete the Secretary of State report due on 1 December 2008, which will be used as a tool to make further improvements.

Departmental Translation Services

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was spent on translation services by his Department and its predecessor, associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06,  (d) 2006-07 and  (e) in 2007-08 to date.

Gareth Thomas: Expenditure by the Department through its centrally managed arrangements for translations services into and from English, is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Expenditure (£) 
			 2003-04 356,391 
			 2004-05 353,735 
			 2005-06 408,091 
			 2006-07 446,661 
			 2007-08 (to 22 February) 229,494 
		
	
	Information on expenditure by the Department's Agencies and non-departmental public bodies is held by the bodies themselves. It is not held centrally. I am asking Agency chief executives to write direct to the hon. Member and am arranging for a copy of the list of the non-departmental public bodies to be placed in the Library of the House for the use of the hon. Member.

Discrimination: Tribunals

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many discrimination cases were heard by employment tribunals, broken down by the type of discrimination, in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of hearings by type of case is not held centrally. However, the number of discrimination cases disposed of over the last five years is given in the following table. Information is not available for 2007-08 as details are collated locally and processed and published at the end of the financial year.
	
		
			  The number of discrimination cases disposed of from 2003-04 to 2006-07 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Sex 10,254 16,211 24,217 18,909 
			 Disability 3,925 4,673 4,072 4,345 
			 Equal Pay 2,195 3,943 11,323 7,854 
			 Race 3,117 3,080 3,430 3,117 
			 Religion or belief(1) — — 340 498 
			 Sexual orientation(1) — — 321 384 
			 Age(2) — — — 135 
			 Total 19,491 27,907 43,703 35,242 
			 (1) Information is available from 2005-06 onwards following introduction of new legislation. (2) Information is available from 2006-07 onwards following introduction of new legislation.  Data is not available prior to the introduction of relevant legislation.  Source:  Appendix 1, The Employment Tribunals Service Annual Report for years 2003-04 to 2006-07

Industrial Disputes

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  when the Government plan to publish a summary of the views received on the consultation paper, Consultation on Resolving Disputes in the Workplace - Supplementary Review, launched in May 2007;
	(2)  when the Government plan to publish a summary of the views received on the consultation paper, Success at Work - Resolving Disputes in the Workplace, launched in March 2007.

Patrick McFadden: We plan to publish our response to the views expressed by consultees in this consultation in due course. We will also make available all the responses received.

Internet

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make it his policy to ensure that .co.uk internet domain names are only issued on condition that at a minimum an administrative contact is domiciled in the UK.

Malcolm Wicks: The responsibility for registration of .co.uk domain names rests with Nominet, a private, not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee. Nominet offer an open system for registration for .co.uk domains and some 92 per cent. of registrants have an address in the UK. The company seek to ensure that contact details for registrants, that might be required in any dispute about the use of a .co.uk domain, are accurate.

Minimum Wage

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received on the implications of proposals in the child care reimbursement element of his Department's response to consultation on the national minimum wage and voluntary workers for volunteering and the capacity of voluntary bodies.

Patrick McFadden: Since the close of the consultation on the national minimum wage and voluntary workers, my department has received written representations, largely from voluntary organisations, about the reimbursement of child care expenses. We are currently considering how best to address the issues raised with us in correspondence.

Political Levy

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether individual trade union members have the right to  (a) opt out from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) political fund and  (b) opt out from their political levy being apportioned to the TUC's political fund.

Patrick McFadden: The Trades Union Congress has no political fund.

Political Levy

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the level of awareness of trade union members of their right to opt out of contributing to trade unions' political funds.

Patrick McFadden: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has taken measures to raise awareness of this right by producing guidance on the relevant law in a publication entitled "Trade Union political funds: a guide for trade unions, their members and others". There has been no research by the Department to measure awareness of this or any other trade union right.

Post Offices: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people responded to the consultation on the relocation of Bexleyheath post office to a WH Smith branch.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member. Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received in  (a) opposition and  (b) support of the relocation of Bexleyheath post office to WH Smith.

Patrick McFadden: My right hon. Friend has received one letter and one previous parliamentary question from the hon. Member about the relocation of Bexleyheath post office to WH Smith.

Post Offices: Closures

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what method was used to calculate the weekly customer figures published in the branch assessments for each post office branch facing closure.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 26 February 2008
	This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Closures

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions he has had with Post Office Ltd on the options for outreach in the current closure programme; and what flexibility he is encouraging in the use of this method of delivering services.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 29 February 2008
	I have had discussions with Post Office Ltd on the wider application of the four outreach options which were piloted with Government funding but would also encourage consideration of other viable outreach options in the light of specific local circumstances.

Post Offices: Closures

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what minimum service is being made available by Post Office Ltd under the heading outreach as part of the current closure campaign.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 29 February 2008
	The Government consider that decisions about individual branch opening hours and service offerings are a matter for Post Office Ltd and individual sub-postmasters, reflecting the needs and level of demand in local communities.

Post Offices: Closures

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the maximum financial amount is that a post master/mistress may be paid as compensation for branch closure.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 29 February 2008
	The payments to subpostmasters whose offices are compulsorily closed under Post Office Ltd.'s network change programme compensate them for not being able to sell their business and are based on up to 28 months remuneration.

Post Offices: Closures

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post offices have closed in Castle Point over the last 10 years; and when a further review of post offices in Castle Point will be undertaken.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Regional Development Agencies: Patents

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will list the patents held by each regional development agency; and whether ownership is shared with another entity in each case.

Patrick McFadden: No RDA itself holds patents. However, patents are held by organisations which RDAs have supported through grants and investments.

Regional Development Agencies: Research

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much each Regional Development Agency spent on research and development  (a) in nominal prices and  (b) as a proportion of total expenditure in each of the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: The tables show details of expenditure by RDAs through the 'Grant for Research and Development' programme and as a proportion of grant in aid budgets.
	The programme assists start-ups and SMEs to carry out research and development work on technologically innovative products and processes. 'Grant for R and D' allows businesses to undertake projects which would be untenable if grants were not available. Similarly, it helps to attract private investors, to whom the projects would otherwise not be financially viable.
	Prior to April 2005, the Small Business Service was responsible for delivering the grant offers made by the RDAs. Information on spend was collated by the SBS only on a national basis. Figures prior to 2005-06 therefore relate to grant offers made by the RDAs.
	In April 2005, responsibility for delivering grant for R and D transferred from the Small Business Service to the RDAs in accordance with the Government's policy on transferring responsibility for business support to the RDAs. Figures for 2005-06 and 2006-07 relate to actual spend by RDAs through the Grants for R and D programme.
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04 
			  RDAs  Grant in aid budgets (£ million)  Offers (£000)  R and D as a proportion of grant in aid (percentage)  Grant in aid budgets (£ million)  Offers (£000)  R and D as a proportion of grant in aid (percentage) 
			 AWM 204 2,392 1.17 240 2,743 1.14 
			 EEDA 88 9,771 11.10 80 12,355 15.44 
			 EMDA 101 4,933 4.88 117 3,830 3.27 
			 LDA 295 3,923 1.33 317 7,697 2.43 
			 NWDA 274 6,889 2.51 309 8,251 2.67 
			 ONE 193 1,518 0.79 223 2,284 1.02 
			 SEEDA 112 9,886 8.83 136 12,915 9.50 
			 SWRDA 103 2,398 2.33 99 2,714 2.74 
			 YF 211 4,787 2.27 244 6,638 2.72 
		
	
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06 
			  RDAs  Grant in aid budgets (£ million)  Offers (£000)  R and D as a proportion of grant in aid (percentage)  Grant in aid budgets (£ million)  Actual spend (£000)  R and D as a proportion of grant in aid (percentage) 
			 AWM 217 1,827 0.84 272 1,895 0.70 
			 EEDA 84 5,786 6.89 129 5,921 4.59 
			 EMDA 119 1,697 1.43 156 2,259 1.45 
			 LDA 328 4,744 1.45 373 3,279 0.88 
			 NWDA 367 5,549 1.51 382 3,951 1.03 
			 ONE 227 2,577 1.14 240 1,554 0.65 
			 SEEDA 110 3,458 3.14 157 4,235 2.70 
			 SWRDA 113 1,323 1.17 153 1,038 0.68 
			 YF 288 3,103 1.08 295 3,165 1.07 
		
	
	
		
			   2006-07 
			  RDAs  Grant in aid budgets (£ million)  Actual spend (£000)  R and D as a proportion of grant in aid (percentage) 
			 AWM 284 1,408 0.50 
			 EEDA 134 3,697 2.76 
			 EMDA 163 2,653 1.63 
			 LDA 391 2,275 0.58 
			 NWDA 400 2,216 0.55 
			 ONE 251 1,730 0.69 
			 SEEDA 163 4,135 2.54 
			 SWRDA 159 1,561 0.98 
			 YF 310 2,824 0.91 
		
	
	In addition to the Grant for R and D programme, RDAs also make other investments in Research and Development projects, examples of which are detailed as follows.
	 Collaborative R and D projects
	In conjunction with science-based businesses such as the Premium Automotive Research and Development programme, a collaboration between Advantage West Midlands, Warwick University, and Jaguar Land Rover. It supports technologies that underpin component engineering and manufacturing in the luxury car sector;
	 Demonstrator activities
	Such as pilot schemes of innovative new products;
	 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
	Which allow businesses to access academic research in order to create and improve commercial products, materials, and services such as the 11 Centres of Industrial Collaboration in Yorkshire set up by Yorkshire Forward, which have worked on more than 1,500 projects, grossed more than £38 million in income, and created or safeguarded over 1,400 jobs.

South East England Development Agency: Expenditure

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the South East England Development Agency's budget has been in each year since its establishment; and what the  (a) salary costs and  (b) expenses have been of the (i) executive directors and (ii) non-executive directors in each year since inception.

Patrick McFadden: Total budget in each year since foundation:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2006-07 195,409 
			 2005-06 181,500 
			 2004-05 164,070 
			 2003-04 125,011 
			 2002-03 92,853 
			 2001-02 96,093 
			 2000-01 83,233 
			 1999-2000 64,277 
			 1998-99 543 
		
	
	These figures are based on the total expenditure per year as laid down in SEEDA's annual reports and accounts.
	
		
			  (a) Salary costs 
			  £ 
			   Executive directors  Non-executive directors 
			 2006-07 647,595 209,203 
			 2005-06 640,078 197,810 
			 2004-05 655,209 200,002 
			 2003-04 617,986 195,325 
			 2002-03 534,258 179,447 
			 2001-02 420,998 173,302 
			 2000-01 473,270 160,084 
			 1999-2000 338,963 151,963 
			 1998-99 30,475 41,886 
		
	
	The salary figures provided are based on SEEDA's annual reports and accounts. The chief executive's salary is included in the figure provided for executive directors. Figures include performance related bonuses paid to executive directors and the chief executive.
	
		
			  (b) Expenses 
			  £ 
			   Executive directors  Non-executive directors 
			 2006-07 36,436 41,357 
			 2005-06 29,904 21,750 
			 2004-05 26,500 45,311 
			 2003-04(1) 20,461 34,226 
			 2002-03 11,241 19,872 
			 2001-02 10,979 15,598 
			 2000-01 13,793 15,310 
			 1999-2000 9,450 19,276 
			 1998-99 n/a n/a 
			 (1) Credit card expenditure is not included for the years 1999-2000 to 2003-04. This information is not available in electronic format and would require retrieving payroll reports from the archive. The cost limit per PQ reply currently stands at £700 actual staff costs, we are unable to retrieve this information because of disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	These figures include expenses paid directly to employees or expenses incurred on their SEEDA credit card.

Wind Power

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to what wind farm proposals his Department has lodged objection in each of the last three years; and for what reasons in each case.

Malcolm Wicks: The Secretary of State has not lodged objections to any wind farm proposals in the last three years.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Cemeteries

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Health and Safety Executive next plans to publish guidance on health and safety in cemeteries.

Anne McGuire: The Health and Safety Executive is working with representatives from across the burial industry to agree simple, practical guidance on how to manage the risks associated with unstable memorials. This work is being taken forward through a sub-Group of the Ministry of Justice's Burials and Cemeteries Advisory Group. The intention is to agree this guidance by early summer 2008, for publication soon after.

Departmental Buildings

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what fees were paid to private contractors for the operation and maintenance of his Department's buildings in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: The Department pays an all-inclusive unitary charge under the PRIME PFI contract to its private sector partner Land Securities Trillium (LST) for the provision of fully serviced accommodation. This fully inclusive unitary charge provides for payments to private contractors for the operation and maintenance of the buildings we occupy and we are unable to separately identify the costs attributable to this element of the PFI contract.

Departmental Civil Agencies

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the effect on costs to the public purse has been of the operation of agencies within his Department's responsibilities in the last  (a) five and  (b) 10 years.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 18 February 2008
	It has not been possible to quantify the effect on costs to the public purse of the operation of agencies. However information relating to DWP costs may be found in the Published Resource Account for DWP 2006/07. This is available using the following link.
	http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0607/hc08/0875/0875.pdf

Departmental Overseas Workers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many representatives of his Department were located abroad in each of the last 10 years, broken down by location; and at what cost.

Anne McGuire: The Department supports a small number of employees in posts abroad related to DWP business needs. The numbers, costs and locations vary from year to year. However, the details of representatives located abroad are not held centrally and could be provided only by incurring disproportionate costs.

Departmental Telephones

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what  (a) 0800,  (b) 0845 and  (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public are used by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies which report to his Department.

Anne McGuire: We are constantly working to improve our services to customers and that may include periodic changes to the numbers and number ranges we use. We publicise these changes to appropriate customer groups and key stakeholders. Neither my Department nor its agencies use 0870 numbers for customer contact.
	Information on the 0800 and 0845 numbers in use has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by employment agency.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is available from June 2006 only.
	The average hourly rate paid by the Department to employment agencies for agency staff from June to December 2006 was £11.61. From January to December 2007 it was £12.38.

Employability Skills

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how his Department is monitoring the progress of the Employability Skills programme which his Department announced on 1st August 2007.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	Progress in implementing the Employability Skills Programme is currently reported into the Department of Innovation Universities and Skills (DIUS), Skills for Life programme Board. This Board will monitor reports from the Learning and Skills Council on progress against success criteria for the programme. Data will be made available on a quarterly basis via the data book.
	Development of the programme has been overseen by a Steering Group comprising representatives from DIUS, DWP, LSC and JCP.

Employability Skills

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much it has cost to implement the Employability Skills programme which his Department announced on 1 August 2007.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	The Employability Skills Programme is an LSC funded programme, £23 million is available to support learner's achievements in literacy, language and numeracy qualifications and to get a basic level employability qualification. DWP are further supporting learners with £14 million for Training Allowance.
	DIUS has supported development of the programme with £310,000 which has funded:
	Develop, set-up and support for 9 Pathfinders trials in each of the Government Office regions.
	Develop and delivery of training for JCP advisers and Programme Providers.
	Development and dissemination of information and promotional materials for JCP customers, advisers and programme providers.

Employability Skills

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people his Department estimates have found employment as a consequence of participating in the Employability Skills programme which his Department announced on 1st August 2007.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	Success in the Employability Skills Programme is measured in a number of ways, including achievement of literacy, language and numeracy qualifications, achievements of an employability certificate in addition to job outcomes.
	Provision typically lasts 15 weeks and in that time Training Providers work with local Jobcentre Plus offices to try to identify suitable job opportunities and ideally to find work with training.
	We expect the LSC to report on the full range of success criteria including qualifications and job outcomes at quarterly reviews, the first set of data to end of February 2008 will be reported at the quarterly review in April 2008.

Employment: Families

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many families came off jobseeker's allowance and income support to re-enter full-time employment in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is not available.

European Social Fund

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what disbursements have been made from the European Social Fund in each of the last three years in each  (a) constituency and  (b) local authority area.

James Plaskitt: This information is not available at constituency or local authority level. Most European Social Fund money is allocated at regional level. The following table shows disbursements made from the European Social Fund in England in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
	
		
			  European social fund payments 2005, 2006 and 2007 
			  £ 
			  Region  2005  2006  2007 
			 East of England 34,095,608 35,231,647 36,046,301 
			 East Midlands 35,581,610 34,457,285 41,792,971 
			 London 80,650,908 84,921,303 78,798,216 
			 North East 55,543,966 41 ,478,282 41 ,034,653 
			 North West (excluding Merseyside) 52,489,763 35,521,941 30,249,680 
			 North West (Merseyside) 30,772,542 45,050,374 34,226,239 
			 South East 43,553,100 48,381,611 42,416,442 
			 South West (excluding Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly) 28,028,604 33,408,137 20,686,493 
			 South West (Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly) 8,823,512 10,338,543 12,396,687 
			 West Midlands 63,871,760 52,371,892 67,318,184 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber (excluding South Yorkshire) 45,042,213 41,250,461 42,223,750 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber (South Yorkshire) 41,188,272 45,171,016 19,634,521 
			 England national projects 47,740,184 50,329,667 93,006,953 
			 Equal projects 50,701,187 58,677,218 45,903,082 
			 Total 618,083,229 616,589,377 605,734,172 
			  Notes: 1. Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Merseyside and South Yorkshire receive ring-fenced funding as Objective 1 areas. 2. The Department for Work and Pensions has responsibility for the European Social Fund in England. The devolved administrations have responsibility for the European Social Fund in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  Source: European Social Fund Projects and Payments Database, February 2008

Housing Benefits: Rented Housing

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimates he has made of the percentage of claimants subject to the local housing allowance who will experience a restriction in their rent as a consequence of the application of the allowance, broken down by local authority;
	(2)  what estimates he has made of the percentage of claimants subject to the local housing allowance who will experience a restriction in their rent as a consequence of the application of the allowance, broken down by bedroom entitlement.

Stephen Timms: No such estimates have been made.
	The local housing allowance is being applied to new housing benefit claims in the deregulated private rented sector. Current claimants will not be moved to the new scheme unless they break their claim or change address.
	We cannot estimate how many people will experience a restriction in their rent as a consequence of the local housing allowance because we do not know in advance what their accommodation choices and hence their contractual rent will be. Consequently, we do not know how their rent will compare with the local housing allowance rate appropriate for them.
	The allowance is a more transparent way to calculate housing benefit entitlement. As a result, claimants should find it easier to shop around to find a property which has a rent set at or below the appropriate local housing allowance rate. The extent to which they do this will determine the proportion of claimants who have their rent restricted. In the Pathfinder areas the percentage of claimants with a shortfall fell from 59 per cent. to 40 per cent.
	We will be monitoring the number of cases with excesses and shortfalls as part of the two year review of the national roll-out of the local housing allowance.

Incapacity Benefit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed incapacity benefit in each year since 1997; and how many claimants  (a) reached retirement age and  (b) died in each year.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 20 February 2008
	Information for the full year to February 1997 is not available. The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number claiming incapacity benefits and leaving incapacity benefits through death or moving to State Pension 
			  As at February each year  Incapacity benefits commencements  Death  Stops claiming incapacity benefits and starts claiming State Pension 
			 1998 944,400 30,800 69,000 
			 1999 838,000 29,800 80,400 
			 2000 807,300 30,300 91,600 
			 2001 788,900 28,200 43,500 
			 2002 744,600 28,600 42,600 
			 2003 726,600 27,600 49,100 
			 2004 702,200 28,600 43,300 
			 2005 663,000 28,000 63,400 
			 2006 614,800 27,300 58,700 
			 2007 606,800 27,900 63,300 
			  Notes: 1. Terminations figures are produced from 5 per cent sample data. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 3. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 4. Earlier years have been updated to include late notified terminations.  Source: DWP Information Directorate 5 per cent terminations dataset

Incapacity Benefit

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each age category are claiming incapacity benefit in  (a) England and  (b) each local authority area.

Anne McGuire: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Income Support

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claiming income support worked for fewer than 16 hours per week in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: One of the conditions for claiming income support is that claimants must not be working for 16 or more hours a week. Therefore all the people claiming income support worked for fewer than 16 hours per week in each year since 1997.
	The information on those income support claimants doing some work, but less than 16 hours, is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of income support (IS) claimants (excluding minimum income guarantee1) working less than 16 hours a week 
			  Period ending  Number  As percentage of total IS claims 
			 May 1997 80,900 3.6 
			 May 1998 79,700 3.6 
			 May 1999 80,200 3.6 
			 May 2000 73,200 3.3 
			 May 2001 67,000 3.0 
			 May 2002 66,000 3.0 
			 May 2003 64,500 2.9 
			 May 2004 60,200 2.7 
			 May 2005 55,200 2.5 
			 May 2006 53,000 2.5 
			 May 2007 49,300 2.3 
			  Notes: 1. Data exclude minimum income guarantee (MIG) data to provide a consistent time series for income support claimants. In October 2003, pension credit replaced MIG (income support for people aged 60 or over/with partner aged 60 or over). 2. Figures are uprated to Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study totals and rounded to the nearest 100.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate five per cent. sample

Jobcentre Plus: Training

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training is planned for Jobcentre Plus staff on the implementation of  (a) local housing allowance,  (b) employment and support allowance,  (c) changes in liaison with the Child Support Agency for income support claimants and  (d) changes to lone parents' eligibility for income support; and what additional resources have been allocated for such training.

Stephen Timms: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 4 March 2008:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what training is planned for Jobcentre Plus staff on the implementation of (a) local Housing Allowance, (b) Employment and Support Allowance, (c) changes in liaison with the Child Support Agency for Income Support claimants and (d) changes to lone parents' eligibility for Income Support; and what additional resources have been allocated for training. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Existing learning products are being amended to reflect the introduction of local housing allowance and the consequent changes to our IT systems. In addition communications have been published to increase awareness among Jobcentre Plus staff.
	Learning and Development for people in Jobcentre Plus is central to the successful delivery of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). We are putting in place a comprehensive package of learning and development products to fully equip Jobcentre Plus staff to deliver ESA. Detailed learning routeways are being developed for each of the roles affected. In addition, communications are being planned to ensure all Jobcentre Plus staff are aware of ESA as a new benefit and new regime to assist customers into work.
	All Jobcentre Plus staff will receive information to raise awareness of the changes to the child maintenance arrangements being introduced in July 2008 and October 2008. In addition specific learning products are being developed for staff whose roles are being directly impacted by the changes.
	A full learning needs analysis is currently being conducted to assess what learning staff need as a result of the forthcoming changes to lone parents' eligibility for Income Support. All staff are likely to require some communication to raise their awareness. More detailed information will be focused on those whose roles are more directly affected. In particular advisers will be given clear advice on the existing and new flexibilities that are applicable to lone parents claiming Jobseeker's Allowance.
	The development and delivery of the training for staff on local Housing Allowance, child maintenance and lone parents' eligibility for Income Support are being contained within core Jobcentre Plus Learning and Development resources which exist to support the implementation of change. Detailed planning for the ESA learning and development is currently underway, which will enable an assessment of what can be absorbed within current capacity and whether any additional resource is required.
	I hope this is helpful.

Low Incomes

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how his Department defines a low income household; and whether this definition has changed since 1997;
	(2)  how his Department defines a household in poverty; and whether this definition has changed since 1997;
	(3)  what measures his Department uses for  (a) child poverty,  (b) working-age poverty and  (c) pensioner poverty; and what criteria were taken into account in determining these measures;
	(4)  whether the way his Department measures  (a) child poverty, (b) working-age poverty and  (c) pension poverty has changed since 1997.

Stephen Timms: Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are many possible measures of poverty.
	It is generally accepted that low income is central to any poverty measurement. Definitions of low income households are set out in the annual National Statistics publication Households Below Average Income. This reports numbers of individuals in households below or persistently below 50 per cent., 60 per cent. and 70 per cent. of median household income before and after deducting housing costs.
	Statisticians have made a number of methodological improvements since 1997 in line with international best practice, following full consultation with users and National Statistics protocols. Improvements have been explained in the relevant publications. HBAI presents a consistent time series reflecting all changes that have been made.
	As no single measure captures all aspects of poverty, the new public service agreement "Tackle poverty and promote greater independence and wellbeing in later life" includes a range of indicators related to low income for pensioners. These are relative low income (below 50 and 60 per cent. contemporary median household income), and absolute low income (below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices). Further information is given in the Government's PSA Delivery Agreement 17, which is available in the Library.
	The public service agreement (PSA) to halve child poverty sets out indicators of child poverty. These are relative low income (below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income) absolute low income (below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices), and combined low income and material deprivation (based on below 70 per cent. of contemporary median household income). The three indicators of child poverty reflect that income is a key aspect of child poverty. The combined low income and material deprivation indicator provides a wider measure of families' living standards. Further information is given in the conclusions document of the Department's "Measuring Child Poverty" consultation, which is available in the Library.

National Insurance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of individuals who have been issued with  (a) two,  (b) three and  (c) four or more national insurance numbers.

James Plaskitt: In 2007, there were 1,517 instances where an individual was found to be using more than one national insurance number (NINO). A further breakdown by number of NINOs used by an individual is not available.

New Deal Schemes: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on  (a) the new deal and  (b) the new deal self-employment option in each year since their establishment; and what the planned budget for each is in each year of the spending review period.

Stephen Timms: Self-employment support is available to new deal participants through new deal for young people, new deal 25-plus, new deal for lone parents and new deal for partners. Self-employment support offers an initial awareness session for potential entrepreneurs followed by a period of supported business planning with a business expert and a period of 'test trading'. During test trading, participants start their business while continuing to receive their benefit, an allowance or working tax credits, depending on their circumstances, to help them over any initial transitional hurdles. This period can last up to a maximum of 26 weeks.
	Information on the planned budget for each year of the Spending Review period is not yet available. The forecast figures for 2008-09 will be included in the departmental report 2008 which will be published in May 2008.
	
		
			  New deal spend 
			  £ million 
			  Financial year  Total new deal spend  Of which, on the self-employment option 
			 1997-98 43 0 
			 1998-99 314 0 
			 1999-2000 536 1 
			 2000-01 596 2 
			 2001-02 672 1 
			 2002-03 736 2 
			 2003-04 655 4 
			 2004-05 640 5 
			 2005-06 539 5 
			 2006-07 531 5 
			 2007-08 557 7 
			  Notes: 1. Figures up to and including 2006-07 are confirmed spend. 2. Figures for 2007-08 are planned expenditure. 3. Figures include all new deal programme costs; start-up costs; staff costs, and allowances paid to participants apart from the 50-plus element of the working tax credit, which is the responsibility of HMRC. 4. Figures are rounded to the nearest million and may not sum to spend figures on each individual new deal published in the departmental report due to rounding. 5. Figures include central estimates of administration costs.  Sources: DWP departmental reports 2005-06 Jobcentre Plus accounts 2006-07 DWP departmental report 2007-08 and DWP finance division.

Occupational Health

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much the review of the health of the working age population has cost to date;
	(2)  when he expects the report of the review of the health of the working age population to be published.

James Plaskitt: In March 2007 Dame Carol Black was commissioned to carry out a review of the health of the working age population. The review, which will contain recommendations for Government and stakeholders, will help us to better understand the impact of ill-health in working age people and how best we can tackle this and support people to stay in work. It will help steer the Government's strategy for the coming years.
	To help her in taking forward her review, Dame Carol launched a "Call for Evidence" which ran until 30 November 2007. There has been a significant and very positive response, with over 260 submissions received and a number of very successful stakeholder events held across the country.
	Dame Carol and her review team are currently in the latter stages of analysing the evidence gathered and drafting the report. She is currently hoping to submit her report to Ministers in March.
	In addition to the salary costs of a small team of civil servants supporting her work, the stakeholder events cost approximately £75,000. The review will also be informed by a number of pieces of external research which Dame Carol has commissioned in partnership with the Government's Health Work and Well-being Strategy. The cost of this research to date is around £250,000 and is ultimately expected to total around £300,000. As well as informing Dame Carol's review, this research will be published separately and support the ongoing development of the Health, Work and Well-being Strategy.

Offices: Pension Service

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the current office space is of  (a) the Pension Service and  (b) the Disability and Carers Service;
	(2)  where the premises occupied by  (a) the Pension Service and  (b) the Disability and Carers Service are located.

Mike O'Brien: The current office space occupied by the Pension Service is 119,900 sq m while the disability and carers service occupancy is 99,550 sq m. This includes the local service outlets.
	The Pension Service and the disability and carers service are major occupiers of 44 sites nationwide (the Pension Service: 29 and the disability and carers service: 15). In addition, the Pension Service's current local service outlets and some other disability and carers service functions operate out of approximately a further 200 sites.
	A breakdown of these sites by location will be placed in the Library.

Pension, Disability and Carers Service Agency

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much establishing and developing the new Pension, Disability and Carers Service Agency will cost.

Anne McGuire: This is a matter which falls within the responsibility of the acting chief executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mrs. Vivien Hopkins. She will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Vivien Hopkins, dated 4 March 2008:
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much building and developing the new Pension, Disability and Carers Service Agency will cost.
	The Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire MP, promised you a substantive reply from the Acting Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service.
	I can confirm that the operating and investment budgets of the new Pension, Disability and Carers Service Agency will be the sum of the planned, pre-merger budgets of the current Disability and Carers Service and The Pension Service.
	I hope this reply is helpful.

Pensions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many pensioners access their pension through the Post Office; how many and what proportion received their pension  (a) on or before 21 December 2007 and  (b) on or by 24 December 2007; how many pensioners did not receive or were unable to access their pension on or before 24 December 2007; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of pensioners did not  (a) receive,  (b) pick up and  (c) cash their state pension before Christmas 2007.

Mike O'Brien: The vast majority (around 8.6 million) of pensioners have their pension paid by direct payment into a bank account and those who were due a payment at Christmas were able to access their money from cash machines at any time over the holiday period. It is possible to access money in other bank accounts at the Post Office, as well as the Post Office Card Account and cheque payments, but the Department does not hold data on how many pensioners choose to do so.
	The arrangements put in place to make sure that everyone received their money before Christmas worked well and around 5.4 million (60 per cent.) pensioners due to be paid over Christmas were able to access their money on Friday 21 December. The remaining around 3.6 million (40 per cent.) were able to access their money on Monday 24 December.
	The information about the number of pensioners who did not subsequently collect their state pension before Christmas is not available.
	The Department is reviewing its arrangements for payments due over the Christmas period.

Pensions: Females

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of the cohort of women who did not fully benefit from home responsibilities protection, referred to in the May 2006 Pensions White Paper, will be over pension age on 6 April 2010; and what estimate he has made of the cost of extending the reduction from 39 to 30 in the number of qualifying years required to be eligible for a full basic state pension to these women.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not available. The cohort of women described in the 2006 White Paper, who did not fully benefit from Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP), did not do so because HRP was not introduced until 1978. Prior to 1978 periods spent out of the labour market while caring for children did not count towards State Pension entitlement.

Public Sector: Learning Disability

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people with learning disabilities employed in  (a) the public sector and  (b) the NHS.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not held centrally.

Secretaries of State

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the Secretaries of State in his Department since 2001, with the dates of service in each case.

Anne McGuire: The list of Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions since 2001 with dates of service is in the following table.
	
		
			  Name  Date of appointment  Last day of service 
			 Alistair Darling 27 July 1998 29 May 2002 
			 Andrew Smith 30 May 2002 7 September 2004 
			 Alan Johnson 9 September 2004 6 May 2005 
			 David Blunkett 6 May 2005 2 November 2005 
			 John Hutton 3 November 2005 28 June 2007 
			 Peter Hain 29 June 2007 24 January 2008 
			 James Purnell 24 January 2008 —

Sick Leave

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's press release of 5 September 2007, on advice to patients on sick leave, how successful the online training tool for GPs has been.

Anne McGuire: The online training tool is an educational programme developed in partnership with Cardiff university. It has been designed to help GPs develop their skills in handling issues around fitness for work during consultations with patients. 263 GPs completed the programme as part of an independent evaluation during the development process. The results from this evaluation showed that of the GPs that took part, there was a significant change in their attitudes towards dealing with their consultations around fitness for work.
	The training tool has also been used as part of a national education programme for GPs which we have been piloting in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners. The evaluation of the pilot showed that GPs had an increased level of confidence on dealing with consultations on fitness for work.

Social Rented Housing

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of households in social housing he estimates were in poverty in  (a) England,  (b) each region and  (c) each London local authority area in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2006-07.

Stephen Timms: Specific information regarding low income for the United Kingdom is available in "Households Below Average Income 1994-95, 2005-06 (Revised)". The threshold of below 60 per cent. contemporary median income is the most commonly used in reporting trends in low income.
	The available information is shown in the following tables. The data source does not allow us to provide robust numbers for estimates below the level of Government Office Region. Data for 2006-07 are not yet available so statistics for the most recent years are given instead.
	
		
			  Proportion of households in social housing having an income below 60 per cent. of median in England  and by r egion, three-year averages over 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99 
			   Percentage of households 
			   Before housing costs  After housing costs 
			 England 31 55 
			 North East 36 56 
			 North West 34 55 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 38 55 
			 East Midlands 35 55 
			 West Midlands 33 53 
			 East of England 26 52 
			 London 28 58 
			 South East 21 52 
			 South West 27 57 
		
	
	
		
			  Proportion of households in social housing having an income below 60 per cent. of median in England and by region, three-year averages over 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 
			   Percentage of households 
			   Before housing costs  After housing costs 
			 England 30 45 
			 North East 32 42 
			 North West 31 44 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 32 42 
			 East Midlands 33 45 
			 West Midlands 32 45 
			 East of England 25 41 
			 London 30 52 
			 South East 23 42 
			 South West 27 41 
			  Notes: 1. Three survey year averages are given for each of the regions as robust single year estimates cannot be produced because of the sample sizes for individual regions. 2 The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted/equivalised for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 3. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 4. Tables show figure in percentages rounded to the nearest percentage point.

Social Security Benefits

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the likely change in the number of postal claims for  (a) jobseeker's allowance,  (b) incapacity benefit and  (c) income support as a result of closures of jobcentres or Jobcentre Plus offices, in each region.

Stephen Timms: The administration of these benefits is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Leslie Strathie, dated 4 March 2008:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what estimate he has made of the increase in postal claims for (a) Jobseeker's Allowance (b) Incapacity Benefit and (c) Income Support as a result of planned closures of Jobcentres or Jobcentre Plus Offices, broken down by region. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	We do not have a postal claim scheme for these three benefits. For the vast majority of claimants, the initial claim to these benefits will be made by a telephone call to a Contact Centre. For those vulnerable customers who are unable to make contact by telephone, the claim will be taken at a face-to-face interview.

Social Security Benefits

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed each type of benefit in  (a) Cornwall,  (b) the South West and  (c) England in each year since 1979; and what percentage those people were of the population in each area in each year.

James Plaskitt: Information is not available prior to 2002. The available information has been placed in the Library.

Social Security Benefits: Applications

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households have made both continuous claims for housing benefit and council tax and repeated claims for jobseeker's allowance since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available.

Social Security Benefits: Cost of Living

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has conducted research into the merits of reflecting varying living costs in different regions in benefit levels.

James Plaskitt: No such research has been conducted by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the risk of fraud in claims for  (a) incapacity benefit and  (b) income support in cases where (i) the claimant attends the local jobcentre and (ii) the claim is maintained by post;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the risk of fraud in claims for jobseekers allowance  (a) where the claimant attends the local jobcentre once a fortnight and  (b) where the claim is maintained by post.

James Plaskitt: No such estimate has been made.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research his Department has carried out into the effectiveness of the benefits campaign Targeting benefit thieves.

James Plaskitt: The Targeting Benefit Thieves campaign was launched in October 2006. The Department has carried out regular quantitative tracking research, supported by qualitative research, to monitor the effectiveness of the campaign.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place a copy of the findings of the research into benefit fraud commissioned by his Department and undertaken by GfK NOP in the Library.

James Plaskitt: Research commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions to evaluate communications activity is available through the Department's publication scheme. Further information about the publication scheme is available on our website at:
	www.dwp.gov.uk
	It is not standard practice to place communications research in the Library.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how old the  (a) youngest and  (b) oldest person convicted of benefit fraud was in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The information is not centrally collated and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits: Publicity

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to make families aware of their benefits entitlements.

Anne McGuire: This Department does all it can, through its information providing services, to ensure that people are aware of the benefits to which they are entitled and how to claim them. Leaflets are available at benefits offices, Citizen's Advice Bureaux, and from welfare rights organisations and other advice giving agencies. Information is also available on our website at:
	www.dwp.gov.uk
	From time to time, the Department for Work and Pensions and its Agencies run targeted take-up campaigns for specific benefits. For example, the Pension Service is currently actively targeting those potential claimants who have been identified as the most likely still to be missing out.

Telephone Services

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance the Department issues to staff in  (a) Jobcentre Plus offices,  (b) the Pension Service,  (c) the Disability and Carer's Service and  (d) Benefit Delivery centres on how to respond when clients ask to be called back.

Anne McGuire: Department for Work and Pensions does not issue guidance to its agencies on such operational matters, as these are the responsibility of the agencies' chief executives.
	All three agencies require staff to call back customers on the telephone when the customer requests that they do so. If appropriate the call-back will be immediate. However, in many cases arrangements will be made to call the customer back at a mutually convenient time. This allows an appropriate official to provide the best possible service by having the necessary information to hand.

Unemployment Benefits

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people applying for out-of-work benefits were assessed as functionally illiterate in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The Skills for Life survey, which was conducted in 2002-03, estimated that 38 per cent. of benefit claimants were below Level 1 in literacy.

Winter Fuel Payments

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of pensioners did not receive their winter fuel payment before Christmas 2007.

Mike O'Brien: The Winter Fuel Payment is to help with fuel bills rather than to pay for Christmas but the Pension Service aims to pay 99 per cent. of all Winter Fuel Payments before Christmas. This Winter The Pension Service exceeded this target paying 99.98 per cent. of all cases by Christmas. Of the 12,360,293 customers eligible for an automatic Winter Fuel Payment, which should have been paid prior to Christmas, 2,352 customers (0.019 per cent.) did not receive their payment before Christmas.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Aimhigher Initiative: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department expects to spend on the Aim Higher Initiative in  (a) 2009,  (b) 2010 and  (c) 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: In our January 2008 Grant Letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), we confirmed annual funding of £47.9 million for the Aimhigher Programme for each of the 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 financial years. Traditionally, HEFCE have supplemented this funding. In addition there is a health care strand which at £1.8 million per annum is jointly funded with the Department of Health. This means that, for the 2008/09 academic year, the total funding allocated to Aimhigher will be £78.0 million. Figures for 2009/10 and 2010/11 are still to be finalised.
	The Aimhigher programme brings together universities, colleges and schools in partnership to raise the attainment levels of young people and their aspirations towards higher education. The programme provides opportunities and experiences for learners which helps to widen their horizons, develop talents, increase motivation and maximise potential.
	HEFCE guidance on targeting disadvantaged learners, published in 2007, defined priority groups for Aimhigher to ensure utmost effectiveness. These groups are people from lower socio-economic groups; people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds who live in areas of relative deprivation where participation in HE is low; 'looked after' children in the care system; and people with a disability or a specific learning difficulty.
	In this next phase of the programme, HEFCE is working with Aimhigher partnerships further to develop targeting of those with the talent and ability who might not consider that higher education is for them and provide a sequenced and challenging range of learning opportunities linked to a future in higher education.

Community Relations

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which further education colleges worked with his Department to prepare the consultation document, The Role of Further Education Providers in Promoting Community Cohesion, Fostering Shared Values and Preventing Violent Extremism; and how those colleges were selected.

Bill Rammell: We worked with a number of colleges during the preparation of the consultation document The Role of Further Education Providers in Promoting Community Cohesion, Fostering Shared Values and Preventing Violent Extremism. These were:
	Barking College
	Blackburn College
	Bradford College
	College of North East London
	Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education
	Luton Sixth Form College
	Oaklands College
	Oldham Sixth Form College.
	Stockton Riverside College
	Waltham Forest College
	These were identified by the Association of Colleges (AOC) as colleges with experience in promoting community cohesion.

Community Relations

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) principals and  (b) chief executives of further education colleges have been sent a copy of the consultation document, The Role of Further Education Providers in Promoting Community Cohesion, Fostering Shared Values and Preventing Violent Extremism.

Bill Rammell: The consultation is primarily web-based. The consultation document is available on the DIUS website and we have also set up an e-consultation facility to enable people to respond on-line via the DCSF website.
	Principals and chief executives of colleges were informed of the consultation through communications including:
	Association of Colleges, Association of Learning Providers and National Council for Faiths and Beliefs in Further Education all informed their members of this consultation via their regular electronic mailings;
	The monthly DIUS Further Education Newsletter that is sent to all principals and other training providers.
	Further to this, we are holding a series of consultation workshops around the country to discuss the proposals.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how his Department plans to work with key national student/learner organisations in order to raise awareness of risks including violent extremism; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We have provided guidance to further and higher education institutions to raise their awareness of risks and to help them promote good relations and prevent extremism.
	Universities and colleges need to promote and reinforce shared values and create the space for free and open debate in which all can join. It is important that institutions break down segregation among different student communities, including by supporting inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue. They must also ensure student safety and institutions that are free from bullying, harassment and intimidation. They need to provide support and appropriate sources of advice and guidance for students who may be at risk and they need to ensure staff and students are aware of their roles in preventing violent extremism.
	In that overall context, we are working with the NUS and student faith groups to explore what further help they need to raise awareness of potential risks and to provide support for students. We will develop our plans for students/learners in the FE sector through dialogue with the National Learner Panel, the NUS and organisations that support student faith societies as part of the consultation.
	In addition, we are working with the NUS and other sectoral organisations to take forward the next stage of the debate that the Prime Minister called for in November on
	"how to protect and maintain academic freedom while ensuring that extremists can never stifle debate or impose their views".

Council of Ministers: Meetings

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will make it his policy to make a statement on the agenda of each Council of Ministers meeting he attends before so doing.

Bill Rammell: There are already arrangements in place for the provision of information to Parliament on Council of Ministers meetings. A written ministerial statement is made in both Houses before and after each Council meeting. During recesses, ministerial letters are sent to the chairman of the European Scrutiny Committees and copied to the Libraries of both Houses.

Counselling: Finance

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will exempt those training to work as counsellors for Relate from the withdrawal of funding for equivalent or lower qualifications; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: No students currently studying equivalent or lower qualifications (ELQs) will be affected by these changes. In future, our policy of redistributing grant will widen participation and mean that more of the million people of working age who do not have a first higher-level qualification, especially those from non-traditional backgrounds, will be able to benefit from participating in higher education. However, in finalising our proposals in the light of consultation we have decided to make a number of adjustments. In particular, there will be a review mechanism each year starting in December 2008 to look at individual subjects of particular economic or social importance. We are sure it would be wrong for us to rush into making special arrangements for any subjects, other than those which had already been identified, before any changes to ELQs, as requiring support in the public interest (such as medicine, initial teacher training teaching, science, technology, engineering and maths subjects, area-based studies, and modern foreign languages). But we are asking the Funding Council each year to look at levels of demand both for exempt or protected subjects and at any other subjects which might in future be regarded as key because of their economic or social significance, and in cases where there is evidence of a fall in demand advise us on the best way forward. That will provide an opportunity to consider the issue raised by the hon. Member.

Departmental Parliamentary Questions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the  (a) cost and  (b) average response time for answering parliamentary questions was for his Department in the last parliamentary session.

Bill Rammell: Drafting replies to parliamentary questions is an integral part of the jobs of a significant proportion of the Department's staff and therefore to respond to this question would incur disproportionate cost. The Department's PQ Tracking System is currently unable to break down the average response time in answering parliamentary questions. The PQ tracking IT system is being upgraded and is close to implementation. It will produce accurate statistics and a wider range of management information making it possible to manage and monitor PQs more closely.

Departmental Reorganisation

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which departments, agencies and sections of the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Trade and Industry were incorporated into his Department during the recent departmental reorganisation; how many employees there were in those departments, agencies and sections in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007 to date; in which buildings these employees (i) were based in 2006 and (ii) are based; and how much floor space (A) they occupied in 2006 and (B) they occupy.

Bill Rammell: The following Departments, agencies and sections of the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Trade and Industry were incorporated into his Department during the recent departmental reorganisation:
	
		
			  Ex DfES 
			  Headcount 
			  DfES Directorate  2006  2007  2008 
			 Higher Education 166 169 161 
			 Lifelong Learning and Skills 562 483 343 
			 Total 728 652 504 
		
	
	 Buildings Occupied
	Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith street, London SW1
	Caxton House, Tothill street, London SW1
	Moorfoot, Sheffield, S Yorkshire
	Castle View House, East Lane, Runcorn, Cheshire
	Mowden Hall, Staindrop Road, Darlington, Co. Durham
	DCSF continues to operate from all four sites.
	
		
			  Ex  DTI 
			  Headcount 
			  DTI Directorate/NDPB  2006  2007  2008 
			 Go Science 76.4 73.8 76.8 
			 Science and Innovation Group 268.8 249.6 127.7 
			 UKIPO 887.6 931.6 961.5 
			 National Weights and Measures Laboratory 46 47 50 
		
	
	 Buildings Occupied
	 Go Science and Science and Innovation
	151 Buckingham Palace road, London
	1 Victoria street, London.
	All staff are now based in Kingsgate House, Victoria street, London.
	 UK  IPO
	Concept House, Newport, South Wales
	Nine Mile Point, Newport, South Wales
	Harmsworth House, London
	 NWML
	Purpose built building in Teddington
	The balance of information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what cost-benefit analysis has been made of the decision to reduce funding to equivalent or lower qualification students.

Bill Rammell: We are not cutting funding to higher education. There is no cost to the Exchequer because we are redistributing funding away from students doing equivalent or lower level qualifications in order to fund more new entrants to higher education than would otherwise be possible. First and foremost, we took this decision as a matter of fairness and social justice, but it also has an economic rationale. The additional lifetime earnings "premium" associated with getting a first degree in this country remains comfortably over £100,000 in today's prices which makes it among the highest in the developed world. Given that, it is clear that enabling 20,000 more new students (or students progressing to a higher level) to enter higher education will bring considerable long-term benefit to both individuals and the economy, through having a larger number of more highly qualified, more productive workers than would otherwise be the case.

EU Budget

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what lines in the European Union budget are available to fund projects initiated by his Department.

Bill Rammell: The UK's allocation of budget line 15 02 of the European Union budget is made available by the European Commission directly to the UK National Agencies for the Lifelong Learning Programme to provide funding to successful applicants for projects under that programme. Projects are initiated under this funding line by a wide variety of local, regional and national organisations.

Further Education: Crimes of Violence

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how he plans to ensure that further education colleges have in place plans to respond to incidents of violent extremism.

Bill Rammell: We are consulting on the best way to support colleges in their role in promoting community cohesion, fostering shared values and preventing violent extremism. Given that we believe a differentiated approach is needed so that colleges can develop plans appropriate to their circumstances, we are not proposing to impose an additional monitoring requirement to ensure all have plans for responding to incidents of violent extremism.
	We will review the consultation responses and determine what further steps, if any, are needed in this regard.
	Our view is that further education colleges' response to this issue will be best managed by colleges identifying and implementing solutions that work in their particular circumstances, supported by the relevant agencies and by good practice from around the network.

Further Education: Islam

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when the research undertaken by the Learning and Skills Council on issues faced in engaging young Muslims in further education, referred to in the consultation document, The Role of Further Education Providers in Promoting Community Cohesion, Fostering Shared Values and Preventing Violent Extremism, will be published.

Bill Rammell: A report on the first phase of this research was published by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in November 2007 and is available on their website at:
	http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/National/nat-engaging-young-muslims-in-learning.pdf
	A second phase which is working with student groups to develop resources and more in-depth understanding of the issues faced by Muslim students will be published in summer 2008.

Higher Education: Admissions

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time (i) students aged 17 to 21 years and (ii) mature students enrolled on higher education courses in each year since 2001.

Bill Rammell: The latest available outturn information from HESA is shown in the following table.
	Comparable outturn figures for 2007/08 will not be available until January 2009, but the latest data from UCAS show record levels of applicants and acceptances for entry to full-time undergraduate courses in 2007 and a further 7 per cent. increase for entry to such courses in 2008 at this stage in the admissions cycle—clear evidence that our policies to increase HE participation are working.
	
		
			  Entrants to higher education courses by mode of study and age( 1)  , postgraduate and undergraduate entrants, UK and overseas domiciles, English higher education institutions( 2)  : Academic years 2001/02 to 2006/07 
			   Full-time  Part-time 
			  Academic year  17 to 21  Over 21  17 to 21  Over 21 
			 2001/02 266,565 164,890 17,360 262,570 
			 2002/03 276,915 184,260 17,525 270,320 
			 2003/04 280,175 195,895 17,765 273,115 
			 2004/05 284,680 196,835 20,055 272,425 
			 2005/06 301,745 199,850 21,045 273,720 
			 2006/07 295,695 196,695 25,920 263,210 
			 (1) Excludes a small number of students with an unknown age or an age less than 17, (This was less than 0.6 per cent. in 2006/07). (2 )Excludes the Open University.  Note: Figures are on a HESA standard registration population basis and are rounded to the nearest 5.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Higher Education: Applications

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what criteria his Department uses to define a university applicant as a home or international student; and what account is taken as to whether they have indefinite leave to remain as opposed to exceptional leave to remain.

Bill Rammell: For student support purposes, a "home" student is a person who can demonstrate a specified connection with the UK and satisfy the other eligibility criteria. The specified connection consists of a combination of residence, immigration and in some cases nationality requirements.
	Categories of student who may be eligible include those who on the first day of the first academic year of the course are:
	settled in the UK within the meaning of the Immigration Act of 1971 (which includes those with indefinite leave to remain) and
	persons awarded leave to enter or remain following a failed asylum application (Exceptional Leave to Enter or Remain, Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave) and their family members.
	Both categories are required to have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for the three years prior to the start of their course.
	Other categories of students may qualify for tuition fee support or full student support provided they satisfy specific EEA/EC legislation requirements or have been awarded refugee status.

Higher Education: Community Relations

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when his Department plans to make available the audio-visual material to fight Al-Qa'ida and violent extremism referred to in the consultation document The Role of Further Education Providers in Promoting Community Cohesion, Fostering Shared Values and Preventing Violent Extremism.

Bill Rammell: Some audio materials are already available. Looking forward, the Department will review the need for further materials following the report of the consultation, working with colleges to make sure support materials in any medium meet their needs.

Higher Education: Community Relations

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when the Quality and Improvement Agency plans to publish on its Excellence Gateway website the coherent package of support for staff at further education colleges referred to in the consultation document The Role of Further Education Providers in Promoting Community Cohesion, Fostering Shared Values and Preventing Violent Extremism.

Bill Rammell: The Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) already commissions programmes such as Skills for Life (to improve basic skills levels) and the Post-16 Citizenship Support Programme (to improve quality in the teaching and learning of citizenship that involves national events, networks and teaching materials) to support community cohesion.
	QIA is already working to identify appropriate materials from existing support programmes to help providers in work on community cohesion and the final package of materials will reflect the outcomes of the consultation on this, once known.
	The consultation closes on 6 May 2008 and once the responses have been analysed, work will begin on pulling together the most appropriate packages of support as defined by sector respondents themselves, for inclusion on the Excellence Gateway.

Higher Education: Community Relations

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what role the Quality and Improvement Agency will play in helping further education colleges to build capacity in developing the risk assessments referred to in the consultation document The Role of Further Education Providers in Promoting Community Cohesion, Fostering Shared Values and Preventing Violent Extremism.

Bill Rammell: The new FE improvement body to be established following the merger of the Quality Improvement Agency and the Centre of Excellence in Leadership will provide a single point of access for existing and future support materials via the Excellence Gateway to underpin the role that FE providers are being asked to take in promoting community cohesion, fostering shared values and preventing violent extremism.
	The new body's remit will bring together the functions of CEL and QIA, with a strong focus on it being a strategic commissioning body to support organisational development and improve standards of teaching and learning for the benefit of learners, employers and the wider community.
	QIA is already working to identify appropriate materials from existing support programmes to help providers in work on community cohesion and the final package of materials will reflect the outcomes of the consultation on this, once known.

Higher Education: Student Wastage

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many undergraduates have failed to complete their course in each of the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: The latest available non-completion rates are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Table 1: Proportion of full-time first degree starters who are projected to neither obtain an award nor transfer to another institution 
			   Proportion (percentage) 
			 1997-98 15.8 
			 1998-99 15.9 
			 1999-00 15.8 
			 2000-01 15.0 
			 2001-02 13.8 
			 2002-03 13.9 
			 2003-04 14.4 
			 2004-05 13.8 
			 Source: Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by HESA.  Notes: 1. Figures from the 1996-97 academic year have been excluded due to a change in methodology between 1996-97 and 1997-98. 2. Figures for years earlier than 1996-97 are not available. 
		
	
	Figures for the 2005-06 academic year will be available later this year. According to the figures published by the OECD, the overall completion rate for Type A (first degree equivalent) courses in UK universities and colleges of higher education is amongst the highest in the OECD countries (the UK ranks 5th out of 23 countries who report data in this area).

Higher Education: Student Wastage

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which 10 graduate courses have the highest non-completion rate from highest to lowest in each of the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: Non-completion rates are not broken down by degree subject. However a sector-wide non-continuation rate is provided for each year, which is broken down by subject of study. The non-continuation rate is the proportion of entrants to full-time first degree courses who are no longer in higher education after one year of study. The rates for young entrants are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Proportion of young entrants to full-time first degree courses who are no longer in higher education after one year of study 
			  Percentage 
			  Degree subject  1999/2000  2000/01  2001/02  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05 
			 Medicine, dentistry and veterinary science 2.0 2.0 2.4 1.8 2.0 1.9 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 6.3 6.0 5.9 6.4 7.7 6.8 
			 Biological sciences(1) (1)6.9 (1)6.0 (1)6.1 (1)7.1 7.3 6.8 
			 Physical sciences(1) (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 6.1 6.0 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 6.8 7.0 11.4 7.5 8.3 8.0 
			 Mathematical sciences(2) (2)9.8 (2)8.0 (2)8.4 (2)9.4 5.5 5.3 
			 Computer sciences(2) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10.3 10.3 
			 Engineering and technology 10.1 9.0 8.9 10.0 10.1 9.1 
			 Architecture, building, planning 9.6 8.0 10.2 11.1 10.0 8.3 
			 Social studies(3) (3)6.9 (3)6.0 (3)6.4 (3)7.0 7.2 6.9 
			 Law(3) (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— 6.2 5.5 
			 Librarianship, information sciences(4) (4)6.9 (4)8.0 (4)8.2 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Business and administrative studies(4, 5) (4)— (4)— (4)— (5)8.8 8.8 8.2 
			 Mass communications and documentation(5) n/a n/a n/a (5)— 8.5 8.6 
			 Humanities(6) (6)5.9 (6)5.0 (6)5.7 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Languages(6, 7) (6)— (6)— (6)— (7)6.3 6.3 5.7 
			 Historical and philosophical studies(7) n/a n/a n/a (7)— 5.9 5.0 
			 Creative arts and design 8.7 8.0 8.3 8.2 8.4 8.1 
			 Education 8.6 8.0 8.1 8.0 7.5 7.6 
			 Combined subjects 8.8 8.0 8.2 14.3 13.5 14.3 
			 All subjects 7.8 7.0 7.3 7.8 7.7 7.2 
			 n/a = Not applicable. (1) One figure was provided for Biological and Physical Sciences until 2003/04. (2) One figure was provided for Mathematical and Computer Sciences until 2003/04. (3) One figure was provided for Social Studies and Law until 2003/04. (4) One figure was provided for Librarianship, information sciences and Business & administrative studies until 2002/03. (5) One figure was provided for Business & administrative studies and Mass communications & documentation in 2002/03. (6) One figure was provided for Languages and Humanities until 2002/03. (7) One figure was provided for Languages and Historical & Philosophical Studies in 2002/03.  Note: 1. Figures for 2000/01 are only available to the nearest integer. 2. There is a break in the time series between academic years 2001/02 and 2002/03 because the subjects' JACS coding was changed in 2002/03.  Source: Performance Indicators In Higher Education, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) 
		
	
	Subject rankings for non-continuation rates change over the years. However, medicine, dentistry and veterinary science consistently have the lowest non-continuation rates over the time series.
	According to the figures published by the OECD, the overall completion rate for Type A (first degree equivalent) courses in UK universities and colleges of higher education is among the highest in the OECD countries (the UK ranks 5th out of 23 countries who report data in this area).

Industrial Training: Bureaucracy

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of public expenditure on training was spent on courses primarily designed to improve regulatory compliance in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: We do not hold information on courses specifically designed to improve regulatory compliance.
	Priorities for Success published in 2005 established the principle that employers should bear the full cost of specific stand alone training for staff to meet their statutory or other obligations. Therefore, from 2006-07 we ceased to fund courses such as stand alone first aid and health and safety as well as stand alone training required by staff to update qualifications in order to comply with health and safety regulations.
	The reprioritisation of public funding has enabled the Government to support basic literacy and numeracy, full level two and full level three qualifications for adults providing them with the education and skills they need to fully participate in an economically successful and socially cohesive society.

Music: Internet

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he plans to take to combat the illegal downloading of music from the internet; what recent representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: On 22 February the Government published its strategy—'Creative Britain: New Talents for the New Economy'. This strategy made 26 key commitments for Government and industry across every stage of the creative process. It included a commitment
	"... to consult on legislation that would require internet service providers (ISPs) and rights holders to co-operate in taking action on illegal file sharing—with a view to implementing legislation by April 2009."
	However the document made clear that the Government's preferred solution was the adoption of voluntary or commercial agreements between the ISPs and right holders.

Overseas Students: Loans

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what mechanisms are in place to ensure repayment of student loans provided by the Student Loans Company by European Union nationals living outside the UK.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 3 March 2008
	The Student Loans Company has established payment arrangements for borrowers from other European Union countries who dropped out of their studies and became due to make repayment in April 2007, or who have graduated and become eligible to repay from April 2008. These existing arrangements will continue to apply when the first full cohort of borrowers from EU countries enters into repayment in April 2010.
	The SLC has written to all EU borrowers due to start repayment and asked them to confirm the address where they expect to reside after graduation. If they are staying in the UK they will be expected to obtain a national insurance number and make repayments through the UK tax system. If they are going abroad they will be asked to supply an address and complete an overseas assessment form to allow repayments to be scheduled. These borrowers have been made aware of the variety of methods of repayment available to them.
	So that all who can pay contribute to the costs of their education we have put in place variable threshold bands which are dependent on where the borrower lives. Effective collection across the EU is underpinned by EC regulation 44/2001, which allows the SLC to obtain judgments in UK courts, which can be enforced by courts in other EU countries.
	In support of the EU repayment process the SLC is developing an enforcement strategy for borrowers who move abroad but who do not provide income details. This work is focussing on the collection of penalties, arrears and the movement of borrowers into litigation where this is appropriate. The SLC is piloting work in these areas and expects to have final arrangements in place by April 2009.

Qualifications: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what qualifications are included in the £3.7 million figure in paragraph D4.9 in the 2007 pre-Budget report/comprehensive spending review.

Bill Rammell: Paragraph D4.9 refers to the number of adult qualifications the Government are expected to support over the comprehensive spending review (CSR) period. The subsequent joint grant letter to the Learning and Skills Council from my Department and the Department for Children, Schools and Families published on 16 November set out in detail the number and type of achievements this would include specifically those which contribute to our public service' agreement targets.
	These qualifications are basic literacy and numeracy, full level 2, full level 3 and apprenticeships all of which provide adults with the education and skills, they need to fully participate in an economically successful and socially cohesive society. In order to support the achievement of these qualifications, my Department will also be investing in programmes below level 2 through the foundation learning tier (FLT). The FLT will provide a coherent framework of units and qualifications at entry and level 1 level that can be combined to form progression pathways. This will enable adults to engage in learning and progress through to level 2.

Research: Renewable Energy

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his Department's budget was for research and development for each type of renewable energy technology in each of the last 10 years.

Ian Pearson: I refer my hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for East Devon (Mr. Swire) on 20 November 2007,  Official Report, column 664W.

Retirement

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what percentage of employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by his Department were above state retirement age at the latest date for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: In the Department there were 12 employees over state retirement age as at 31 January 2008. This represents 1.58 per cent. of a total 756 staff.
	In UK IPO there are 19 employees over state retirement age as at 25 February 2008. This represents 1.87 per cent. of a total 1,015 staff.
	In NWML there are no employees over state retirement age as at 26 February 2008.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the cost to his Department is of changing the Science and Engineering Network to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The total cost, to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network (STEMNET), of the rebranding exercise was £25,148. The network undertook this exercise as a result of feedback from stakeholders, in particular the mathematics community, who felt the name change was necessary to reflect the activities of the network.

Science: Research

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many investigations into misconduct in science research by  (a) universities and higher education establishments,  (b) research councils and  (c) other Government-funded research institutions have been carried out since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: This information is not held centrally by the Department. All Research Councils are committed to promoting good research conduct, take seriously any allegations of research misconduct and are currently working to develop RCUK policy on good research conduct. Research organisations (as the employers of researchers), rather than Research Councils, would normally be responsible for investigating any alleged misconduct in research by their own employees. However, there have been 10 instances since 2001 in which Research Councils have investigated allegations of misconduct, whether in universities, other HEIs, Research Council Institutes or independent research organisations.

Students: Finance

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what the  (a) course fee per annum paid by and  (b) unit of public funding paid for the teaching of a full-time undergraduate student studying for an equal or lower qualification was in 2007-08;
	(2)  pursuant to his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7 September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications (ELQs) as additional degrees, what forecasts he has made of fees to be charged to non-exempt full-time undergraduate ELQ students;
	(3)  further to his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7 September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications as additional degrees, which professional higher level qualifications will no longer receive funding;
	(4)  whether he consulted  (a) the Confederation of British Industry and  (b) professional bodies before making his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England on 7 September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications as additional degrees.

Bill Rammell: We took this decision first and foremost as a matter of principle on grounds of fairness and social justice. But it will also benefit employers and professional bodies by expanding the supply, to a greater degree than would otherwise be possible, of highly skilled, more productive workers with higher level qualifications. We consulted on the details and no-one has seriously challenged the priority of putting first-time students first. All professional higher level qualifications will continue to attract institutional funding as now when studied by students either entering HE for the first time or progressing to a higher level qualification to ones already obtained.
	The level of institutional grant paid by HEFCE in 2007-08 to teach full-time undergraduate students, whether studying for equivalent or lower level qualifications or not, varies according to the cost of teaching different subjects. Funding ranges from over £14,000 for medicine and dentistry, which are exempt subjects under the ELQ policy, to around £2,600 for the least costly subjects to teach. However, there is no necessary connection between these figures and fee levels. Tuition fees for students studying equivalent and lower level qualifications are already and will continue to be unregulated, subject only to the forces of supply and demand. Each HE provider will need to continue to set tuition fees at a level which remains competitive in a system in which there are over 250 HE providers.

Students: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what activities were recently undertaken as part of Student Finance week; and what the cost was of each.

Bill Rammell: The information is as follows:
	Student Finance Week 2007/08 was a week long programme of PR activity.
	The aim of the activity was to make the target audience aware of and direct them to view the new Student Finance DVD. The DVD contains detailed information on the package of financial support available for students entering higher education from September 2008.
	The activity was aimed at young people aged 16-19 and their parents.
	The breakdown of activity for Student Finance Week 2008 is set out in the following table
	
		
			   £ 
			 Coverage in national and regional press to announce the launch of the campaign 1,455 
			 Coverage in The Sun newspaper featuring an exclusive giveaway of the DVD 1,100 
			 Coverage in the regional press featuring exclusive DVD giveaways 1,340 
			 Radio morning with Bill Rammell 5,010 
			 Nick Grimshaw vodcast placed on a variety of youth websites 14,450 
			 Martin Lewis 'Cash Classroom' vodcast placed on a variety of websites 2,220 
			 Coverage in personal finance pages of national titles 4,205 
			 Coverage of celebrity graduate champions 2,940 
			 Coverage featuring Ed Byrnes (one of the stars of the DVD) on various websites 1,205 
			 The total cost of activity 33,925

Students: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of undergraduates enrolling on a higher education course received a bursary in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: It is not possible to say what proportion of students overall received a bursary. However, we know that the Student Loans made 81,000 payments in 2006-07 via the Higher Education Bursary Scholarship System (HEBSS) that they manage. HEBSS allows students to apply for a bursary via the Local Authority at the same time as they apply for financial support. It is also important to note that 38 out of 125 institutions do not use this system, so we do not hold data on the number of payments they made. Nevertheless, OFFA report that no student who was eligible and applied for bursaries failed to receive one.

Students: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much the average bursary awarded to an undergraduate student was in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The data held indicates that a typical bursary for a student on full state support for 2006-07 and 2007-08 is around £1,000, although the exact sum each student receives will vary according to the institution's access agreement. It is not possible to create a meaningful overall average bursary because of the variance in institution's threshold above the full state support threshold.

Students: Public Participation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost of his Department's student juries.

Bill Rammell: Costs for the five student juries, held between November 2007 and February 2008, totalled just over £30,600. The student juries were an important preliminary to the work of the National Student Forum, which will have its first meeting on 28 February 2008.

Students: Public Participation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the budget for the National Student Forum is for 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: A budget of £51,700 has been allocated for the core activity of the National Student Forum this academic year. Up to £70,000 for additional activity, such as the development of a website, is also available as necessary. The forum's chair will be paid an honorarium of £5,000 per annum. In addition, we will pay reasonable travel, access and subsistence expenses for the forum members and chair.
	The Department will consider requests from the forum, to be agreed through the chair, for independent research up to the sum of £50,000 annually. The funding will be held by the Department and can only be used in compliance with the Department's procurement procedures and Government Accounting rules.
	The National Student Forum will have its first meeting on Thursday 28 February. The forum is a demonstration of our commitment to amplifying the student voice in government.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies: Expenditure

Ken Purchase: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the total capital spend was on the school academy programme in England in each year since 2003-04; and what percentage that total represented of all new secondary school building capital expenditure in England in each year.

Jim Knight: The following table details the capital provision for academies as a proportion of the corresponding figure for all schools.
	The Department does not keep a record of the capital funding split between primary and secondary schools. This is because local authorities' formulaic funding is not ring-fenced, and the split of expenditure between primary and secondary schools is decided at local authority level.
	The figures for academies, similarly, will include any contributions that the Department has made towards the primary element of academy school buildings.
	
		
			   All schools (£ million)  Academies (£ million)  Academies as a proportion of all schools (percentage) 
			 2003-04 (1)4,144.0 (1)130.3 3.1 
			 2004-05 (1)4,861.0 (1)222.1 4.6 
			 2005-06 (1)5,262.0 (1)251.7 4.8 
			 2006-07 (2)4,984.0 (1)385.7 7.7 
			 2007-08 (3)6,320.0 (2)425.0 6.7 
			 (1 )Actual outturn (2 )Estimated outturn (3) Planned

Assessments: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many schools have requested a re-mark of a whole year group's  (a) key stage 2 and  (b) key stage 3 examination papers in (i) English, (ii) mathematics and (iii) science in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many  (a) Key Stage 2 and  (b) Key Stage 3 examination papers in (i) English, (ii) mathematics and (iii) science were re-marked following a request from schools in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The following Tables 1 and 2 show how many schools, since 2004, requested a group re-mark in the Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 English, mathematics and science tests, and how many scripts were re-marked following a request from schools.
	Data for the period 2001 to 2003 is not available in the format requested.
	The figures in the tables were provided by the National Assessment Agency (NAA), which is responsible for the administration of National Curriculum tests including the external marking and group reviews service to schools.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Number of schools requesting reviews of whole year group  Number of scripts re-marked as a result of a school's request 
			  Key Stage 2  English  Maths  Science  English  Maths  Science 
			 2007 82 0 0 3,784 0 0 
			 2006 184 1 1 9,957 67 27 
			 2005 89 0 0 4,561 0 0 
			 2004 307 0 0 n/a 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   Number of schools requesting reviews of whole year group  Number of scripts re-marked as a result of a school's request 
			  Key Stage 3  English  Maths  Science  English  Maths  Science 
			 2007 116 0 3 25,549 0 825 
			 2006 669 1 2 75,133 230 426 
			 2005 117 0 4 20,544 0 870 
			 2004 646 (*)n/a (*)n/a (*)n/a (*)n/a (*)n/a 
			 (1) Group reviews in mathematics and science were not conducted until 2005.

Children: Obesity

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in the age groups  (a) 5 to 8,  (b) 9 to 11,  (c) 12 to 13 and  (d) 14 to 16 years were classed as obese in each school in Easington constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The best available data on prevalence of child obesity in the North East region are available through the "Health Survey for England (HSE) and the National Child Measurement Programme" (NCMP).
	The HSE 2006, published in January 2008, showed that in the North East for children aged 2-15 years, 20 per cent. of boys and 15 per cent. of girls were obese.
	The NCMP weighs and measures children aged 4-5 years and 10-11 years. The Report published on February 21, 2008 showed that for the North East Strategic Health Authority, 10.9 per cent. of children aged 4-5 years, and 19.9 per cent. of children aged 10-11 years, were obese.
	Obesity prevalence is available by primary care trust and local authority in the NCMP report, which is available on the Department of Health website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Healthimprovement/Healthyliving/DH_083093.
	School-level results are not available from the HSE, because a sampling method is used and, due to the small numbers involved, results are not reliable below regional level.
	School-level results have not been published at a national level for the NCMP. However, the dataset has now been shared with Public Health Observatories to allow them to undertake their own analysis, including analysis at school level, according to regional and local needs.

Children: Obesity

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children aged  (a) five to eight,  (b) nine to 11,  (c) 12 to 13 and  (d) 14 to 16 years were classed as obese in each school in Tamworth constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The best available data on prevalence of child obesity in the West Midlands region are available through the "Health Survey for England" (HSE) and the "National Child Measurement Programme" (NCMP).
	The HSE 2006, published in January 2008, showed that in the West Midlands for children aged 2-15 years, 19 per cent. of boys and 18 per cent. of girls were obese.
	The NCMP weighs and measures children aged 4-5 years and 10-11 years. The report published on February 21, 2008 showed that for the East Midlands Strategic Health Authority, 9.8 per cent. of children aged 4-5 years, and 16.6 per cent. of children aged 10-11 years, were obese.
	Obesity prevalence is available by primary care trust and local authority in the NCMP report, which is available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Healthimprovement/Healthyliving/DH_083093.
	School-level results are not available from the HSE, because a sampling method is used and, due to the small numbers involved, results are not reliable below regional level.
	School-level results have not been published at a national level for the NCMP. However, the dataset has now been shared with Public Health Observatories to allow them to undertake their own analysis, including analysis at school level, according to regional and local needs.

Children: Protection

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on the final outcome of his Department's review of the 210 cases identified on List 99 who were subject to only a partial bar on working with children.

Kevin Brennan: In the written parliamentary statement of 28 February 2007 the then Secretary of State for Education and Skills reported on progress on the review of those cases where individuals were placed on List 99, but subject to a partial bar. The Secretary of State intends to make a further statement to the House in due course.

Classroom Assistants: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teaching assistants were employed in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in Enfield North in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent teaching assistants employed in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in Enfield North constituency, in each January from 1998 to 2007.
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent teaching assistants( 1)  employed in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in Enfield North constituency, in each January from 1998 to 2007 
			   Teaching assistants( 1) 
			   Primary  Secondary 
			 1998 70 10 
			 1999 80 10 
			 2000 130 20 
			 2001 170 20 
			 2002 220 30 
			 2003 230 40 
			 2004 260 40 
			 2005 280 50 
			 2006 300 60 
			 2007 330 80 
			 (1) Includes teaching assistants, special needs support staff and minority ethnic pupil support staff.  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Departmental Data Protection

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many meetings his Department's chief information officer had with officials in other Government Departments and agencies as part of Government-wide initiatives on data security in the last 12 months.

Kevin Brennan: In the last 12 months, the Department for Children, Schools and Families' chief information officer has had seven meetings with officials in other Government Departments and agencies as part of Government-wide initiatives on data security.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many of his Department's civil servants were  (a) suspended and  (b) dismissed for accessing (i) obscene and (ii) other prohibited material on work computers in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: No civil servants in the Department have been suspended or dismissed over the last five years for accessing obscene or other prohibited websites on their work computers.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on  (a) alcohol and  (b) entertaining in the last 12 months.

Kevin Brennan: Details of expenditure on personal entertainment recorded by the Department over the last 12 months are as follows:
	January 2007 to January 2008, £11,555.59.
	The figure excludes costs incurred as part of official events or formal meetings held to further departmental business. DCSF is unable to separately identify the costs of alcohol from those of general entertainment; as such expenditure is claimed and recorded under the general heading of Personal Entertainment.
	The basic rules governing hospitality are set by HM Treasury.
	 (a) The following guidance is issued by my Department to staff on the provision of alcohol.
	There is a general principle that alcohol should not be provided at public expense and never when only civil servants are present.
	Moderate amounts of alcohol can be provided at public expense when entertaining non-civil servants if not providing alcohol might be regarded as unusual or cause embarrassment. Examples of such events are hospitality from Ministers, at publicity events such as launches or the rare occasions when senior staff judge that official business can best be transacted by hosting a meeting over lunch or dinner.
	 (b) Hospitality expenditure is limited to occasions when official business can best be transacted in that way. Personal entertainment is usually restricted to where senior managers (Deputy Director or above) are acting as a host and expenditure must be approved in advance by a Director or Executive Board member.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created on 28 June 2007 as a result of a machinery of Government change and the expenditure recorded above includes that of its predecessor department, the Department for Education and Skills. The expenditure will also include any costs incurred by the newly created Department for Universities, Innovation and Skills, where these costs relate to areas formerly the responsibility of the Department for Education and Skills.
	The Department does not have any executive agencies.

Departmental Official Residences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many ministerial residences were available to his Department's Ministers and those of its predecessors in each of the last 10 years.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Watson) on 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 688W.

Departmental Pay

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of his Department's staff are employed within each salary band; what the title and role of each position within each salary band is; and for each salary band what the  (a) bonus structure,  (b) retirement provision,  (c) expenses provision,  (d) total expenses incurred in each of the last 10 years,  (e) average age of employee,  (f) number of (i) women and (ii) men and  (g) ethnic composition is.

Kevin Brennan: The Department employs 2,875 staff in a wide variety of roles. It was formed as part of the 28 June 2007 machinery of government changes, taking in staff from the former Department for Education and Skills and the Home Office. The following table sets out the number and proportion of men and women employed in each of the general salary bands.
	
		
			  Grade  (a) men  Proportion men (Percentage)  (b) women  Proportion women (Percentage)  Total 
			 Administrative Assistant 39 1.4 20 0.7 59 
			 Administrative Officer 99 3.4 289 10.1 388 
			 Executive Officer (EO) and equivalents 209 7.3 400 13.9 609 
			 Higher Executive Officer (HEO) and equivalents 286 9.9 358 12.5 644 
			 Senior Executive Officer (SEO) and equivalents 202 7 242 8.4 444 
			 Grade 7 and equivalents 226 7.9 240 8.3 466 
			 Grade 6 75 2.6 77 2.7 152 
			 Senior Civil Service (SCS) 59 2 50 1.7 109 
			 Special Adviser 2 0.1 2 0.1 4 
			 DCSF Total 1,197 41.6 1,678 58.4 2,875 
		
	
	Staff undertake a wide variety of duties in support of my Department's objectives, including some specialist roles. Titles and roles of each position and other individual information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost, but I can add the following further information on the work force: the average age of employees across the Department is 43. 442 employees (15.4 per cent.) have identified themselves as Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) staff. Additionally, 585 (20.3 per cent.) have said that they prefer not to say or have not yet declared an ethnicity.
	For staff at grade 6 and below, there is a non-consolidated bonus structure that varies according to pay agreements but is negotiated annually with the trade unions and follows Cabinet Office central guidance. For all SCS staff, the bonus arrangements are determined centrally by Cabinet Office. Staff in the Department for Children, Schools and Families participate in the general Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) determined by Cabinet Office. The PCSPS is an unfunded multi-employer defined benefit scheme. Expenses are claimed according to central and departmental guidance available to all staff. Information on individual expenses claimed in each of the last 10 years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Winter Supplementary Estimates (HC 29), if he will break down his Department's  (a) main estimate and  (b) winter supplementary estimate provision by subhead in (i) near cash and (ii) non-cash terms.

Kevin Brennan: Near-cash and non-cash are essentially used as departmental expenditure limit (DEL) budgetary control concepts and are not specifically identified with voted resources in estimates. However, we have been able to break down net total resources for each section in the "Part II: Subhead" detail table of our main and winter supplementary estimate as follows. The significant change between the main and winter supplementary figures is the result of the machinery of government changes announced on 28 June 2007. The resources voted for Department for Education and Skills in the main estimate were divided between the Department for Children Schools and Families and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
	
		
			  Subhead Detail 
			  £000 
			Main  Winter supplementary 
			   RfR1:   
			   Spending in departmental expenditure limits (DEL)   
			   Central Government spending   
			 A Activities to Support All Functions 297,628 237,499 
			 B Support for Schools and Teachers not through Local Education Authorities 1,016,355 1,017,805 
			 C Support for Children and Families not paid through Local Authorities 871,426 871,286 
			 D Higher Education 193,036 — 
			 E Higher Education Receipts from the Department of Trade and Industry -363,676 — 
			 F Further Education, Adult Learning and Skills for Lifelong Learning and International Programmes 784,167 5,760,703 
			 G Support for Students in Higher Education 2,342,283 — 
			 H Compensation to Former College of Education Staff 11,870 11,813 
			 I Current Grants for Local Area Agreements to Support Children and Families 328,691 343,404 
			 
			   Support for Local Authorities   
			 J Current Grants for Local Education Authorities to Support Schools and Teachers 4,427,268 4,429,668 
			 K Capital Grants for Local Education Authorities to Support Schools 3,444,169 3,447,150 
			 L Higher Education Fees and Awards through Local Education Authorities 1,000 — 
			 M Current Grants to Local Authorities to Support Children and Families 57,200 57,200 
			 N Capital Grants to Local Authorities to Support Children and Families 55,228 55,228 
			 O Dedicated Schools Grants 28,286,881 28,286,881 
			 
			   Spending in Annually Managed Expenditure (AME)   
			   Central Government spending   
			 P Loans to Students -515,000 — 
			 
			   Non-Budget   
			 Q Grant in Aid to NDPBs supporting Children and Families 739,295 741,795 
			 R Loans to Students and Grant in Aid to NDPBs supporting Higher Education 99,480 99,480 
			 S Loans to Students and Grant in Aid to NDPBs supporting Higher Education 7,276,930 — 
			 T Grant in Aid to NDPBs supporting Further Education, Adult Education and Skills and Lifelong Learning 11,277,720 91,057 
			 
			   Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL)   
			   Support for Local Authorities   
			 U Further Education supporting sixth Forms — 2,022,881 
			 
			   RFR2:   
			   Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL)   
			   Central Government spending   
			 A Sure Start Current grants not through Local Authorities 93,712 88,812 
			 B Sure Start Schools Current grants not through Local Authorities 43,340 43,340 
			 C Sure Start Current Grants for Local Area Agreements 1 1 
			 
			   Support for Local Authorities   
			 D LA Current Grants 1,099,301 1,099,301 
			 E LA Capital Grants 523,025 523,025 
			 
			   RfR3:   
			   Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL)   
			   Central Government spending   
			 A Children's Fund 40,000 40,000 
			 
			   Support for Local Authorities   
			 B LA Current Grants 150,100 150,100 
			  Total Net Resource 62,581,430 49,418,429

Departmental Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of parliamentary questions from hon. Members for answer on a named day to his Department and its predecessor received a  (a) holding and  (b) substantive answer on the named day in each year since 2001.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what  (a) guidance and  (b) support his Department gives to children's centres, nurseries and other forms of early years providers in respect of (i) domestic violence and (ii) forced marriage.

Beverley Hughes: 'Working Together to Safeguard Children', the main interagency guide to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, contains information for practitioners about domestic violence and forced marriage. It makes clear that those who work with children should know how to recognise and respond to the possible abuse or neglect of a child. This will include childminders and everyone working in early years provision. 'Working Together' advises that if anyone has concerns that a child is in danger of a forced marriage, they should contact the Forced Marriage Unit. The guidance also asks Local Safeguarding Children Boards to involve children's centres in their work to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their local areas. The Government have also published a shorter guidance document, 'What To Do If You're Worried A Child Is Being Abused', which is used widely by those who work with children and which provides an accessible guide to the steps to take when someone has concerns about a child.
	The Sure Start Children's Centres Practice Guidance highlights families experiencing domestic violence among those groups of families that find it hardest to access the services they need. It encourages children's centres to ensure that parents or other family members have access to appropriate support. The statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, which will be statutory from September 2008, makes clear that all practitioners should have an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding children issues and be able to implement the safeguarding children policy and procedure appropriately. Policies should be in line with LSCB local guidance and procedures.

Faith Schools: Liverpool

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects work to begin on the new faith primary school in Liverpool; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 4 February 2008
	This Department has fully supported the plans for the proposed new faith school in Liverpool, and have worked closely with the local authority and the Archdiocese of Liverpool to move the project forward. The delays are due to issues surrounding local organisation. The local authority has just confirmed that it will now carry out a rationalisation review in the area and will be able to advise us, by September 2008, whether they wish to proceed with plans to build the new faith school.

Family Intervention Projects

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funds have been allocated to family intervention projects for each of the next three financial years.

Beverley Hughes: The Secretary of State announced on 5 October 2007 that the Department for Children, Schools and Families would provide on-going funding of up to £18 million over the next three years to sustain the recently established network of 53 Family Intervention Projects. Projects will get ongoing tapered funding over 2008-11 based on current allocations. Evaluation evidence from the 53 projects shows that families who in the past may have been written off by agencies are now being offered the right help and incentives to become decent members of their community and provide their children with life chances.

Nursery Schools: East of England

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many free early years education places have been available in  (a) Suffolk,  (b) Norfolk,  (c) Essex and  (d) Cambridgeshire in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: The available information on the number of part-time funded places filled by three and four-year-olds in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire local authority areas is shown in the tables.
	Since April 2004 all three and four-year-olds have been entitled to a free part-time early education place for 12.5 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year. From 2010, this offer will be extended from 12.5 to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year.
	
		
			  Number of part time funded places( 1,2)  filled by three and four-year-olds—local authority: Suffolk 
			  Position in January each year 
			   Part-time funded places filled by three-year-olds  Part-time funded places filled by four-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total three-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total four-year-olds 
			 1997 610 n/a 610 n/a n/a (5)7,400 
			 1998 560 n/a 560 n/a n/a (5)7,600 
			 1999 720 n/a 720 n/a n/a (5)8,000 
			 2000 630 (6)0 630 n/a n/a (5)8,000 
			 2001 860 (6)480 1,300 n/a n/a (5)7,600 
			 2002 1,000 (6)3,200 4,200 6,300 (5)1,600 7,900 
			 2003 1,100 (6)3,300 4,400 6,100 (7)1,700 7,800 
			 2004 1,300 (8)4,300 5,600 5,800 (9)1,600 7,300 
			 2005 1,300 (8)4,400 5,700 5,800 (9)1,500 7,300 
			 2006 1,300 (8)4,400 5,700 5,500 (9)1,500 7,000 
			 2007 1,400 (8)4,800 6,200 5,600 (9)1,400 7,000 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the School Census, (8) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (9) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of part time funded places( 1,2)  filled by three and four-year-olds—local authority: Norfolk 
			  Position in January each year 
			   Part-time funded places filled by three-year-olds  Part-time funded places filled by four-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private voluntary and independent providers  Total three-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total four-year-olds 
			 1997 1,500 n/a 1,500 n/a n/a (5)8,200 
			 1998 1,800 n/a 1,800 n/a n/a (5)8,400 
			 1999 1,900 n/a 1,900 n/a n/a (5)8,500 
			 2000 1,900 (6)0 1,900 n/a n/a (5)8,900 
			 2001 1,900 (6)130 2,100 n/a n/a (5)8,400 
			 2002 1,800 (6)3,000 4,700 6,600 (5)1,900 8,400 
			 2003 1,800 (6)4,300 6,200 6,500 (7)1,900 8,400 
			 2004 2,100 (8)4,400 6,500 6,300 (9)1,800 8,200 
			 2005 2,000 (8)4,100 6,100 6,200 (9)1,700 7,900 
			 2006 2,200 (8)4,700 6,900 5,900 (9)1,800 7,700 
			 2007 2,100 (8)4,900 7,100 5,900 (9)1,800 7,700 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the School Census. (8) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (9) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of part time funded places( 1,2)  filled by three and four-year-olds—local authority: Essex 
			  Position in January each year 
			   Part-time funded places filled by three-year-olds  Part-time funded places filled by four-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total three-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private voluntary and independent providers  Total four-year-olds 
			 1997 1,600 n/a 1,600 n/a n/a (5)14,000 
			 1998 1,900 n/a 1,600 n/a n/a (5)15,000 
			 1999 2,000 n/a 2,000 n/a n/a (5)15,200 
			 2000 2,000 (6)0 2,000 n/a n/a (5)15,100 
			 2001 2,000 (6)220 2,220 n/a n/a (5)15,100 
			 2002 2,000 (6)6,700 8,700 10,400 (5)4,700 15,100 
			 2003 2,000 9,500 11,500 10,400 (7)4,600 15,000 
			 2004 2,000 (9)9,700 11,700 10,500 (9)4,500 15,000 
			 2005 1,900 (8)10,000 11,900 9,900 (9)4,500 14,400 
			 2006 2,000 (8)9,900 11,900 9,900 (9)4,200 14,100 
			 2007 1,900 (8)10,400 12,300 9,700 (9)4,400 14,100 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the School Census. (8) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (9) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of part time funded places( 1,2)  filled by three and four year olds—local authority: Cambridgeshire 
			  Position in January each year 
			   Part-time funded places filled by three-year-olds  Part-time funded places filled by four-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total three-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total four-year-olds 
			 1997 1,100 n/a 1,100 n/a n/a (5)5,800 
			 1998 1,100 n/a 1,100 n/a n/a (5)6,500 
			 1999 1,200 n/a 1,200 n/a n/a (5)6,300 
			 2000 1,100 (6)0 1,100 n/a n/a (5)6,400 
			 2001 1,200 (6)870 2,000 n/a n/a (5)5,900 
			 2002 1,200 (6)1,500 2,700 4,700 (5)1,600 6,200 
			 2003 1,100 (6)2,700 3,800 4,600 (7)1,600 6,200 
			 2004 1,000 (8)2,800 3,800 4,500 (9)1,600 6,100 
			 2005 980 (8)4,000 4,900 4,400 (9)1,300 5,700 
			 2006 1,100 (8)4,000 5,100 4,500 (9)1,500 6,000 
			 2007 1,100 (8)4,300 5,400 4,400 (9)1,600 6,000 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. 3. Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the School Census. (8) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (9) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 19/2007 "Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2007" in May, which is available on my Department's website
	www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/

Physical Education: Teachers

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many hours of physical education training the Youth Sport Trust recommends during initial teacher training to meet the Government's school sport public service agreement target.

Jim Knight: holding answer 26 February 2008
	I am not aware of any recommendation the Youth Sport Trust has made about primary initial teacher training. In any event, neither this Department nor the Training and Development Agency for Schools prescribe the content for courses of initial teacher training or the time that should be spent on particular components of it. Training providers have discretion over this, but the outcome of their course must be that trainees are, on completion, able to demonstrate the various standards the Secretary of State has set out for awarding of Qualified Teacher Status.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how much has been allocated per pupil for the 2008-09 school year, broken down by county;
	(2)  what the average funding per pupil is in England for the 2008-09 school year.

Jim Knight: The Dedicated Schools Grant guaranteed per pupil units of funding for 2008-09 are provided in the following tables for local authorities grouped by type: London, metropolitan, unitary and upper tier. Guaranteed units of funding are not calculated at a county level. The average figure for England is £4,066 per pupil. This covers all funded pupils aged three to 15. Figures are in cash terms. In addition to the Dedicated Schools Grant there are other grants that support the schools budget whose allocations have not yet been finalised.
	
		
			  London authorities  2008-09 guaranteed per pupil unit of funding (£) 
			 Barking and Dagenham 4,563 
			 Barnet 4,559 
			 Bexley 4,151 
			 Brent 4,894 
			 Bromley 3,966 
			 Camden 6,161 
			 City of London 7,362 
			 Croydon 4,267 
			 Ealing 4,832 
			 Enfield 4,437 
			 Greenwich 5,361 
			 Hackney 6,170 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 5,635 
			 Haringey 4,987 
			 Harrow 4,507 
			 Havering 4,137 
			 Hillingdon 4,361 
			 Hounslow 4,651 
			 Islington 5,812 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 5,757 
			 Kingston upon Thames 4,256 
			 Lambeth 5,848 
			 Lewisham 5,556 
			 Merton 4,452 
			 Newham 5,071 
			 Redbridge 4,214 
			 Richmond upon Thames 4,311 
			 Southwark 5,756 
			 Sutton 4,253 
			 Tower Hamlets 6,289 
			 Waltham Forest 4,584 
			 Wandsworth 5,146 
			 Westminster 5,439 
		
	
	
		
			  Metropolitan authorities  2008-09 guaranteed per pupil unit of funding (£) 
			 Barnsley 3,848 
			 Birmingham 4,448 
			 Bolton 3,978 
			 Bradford 4,107 
			 Bury 3,926 
			 Calderdale 3,912 
			 Coventry 4,110 
			 Doncaster 3,941 
			 Dudley 3,949 
			 Gateshead 3,986 
			 Kirklees 3,947 
			 Knowsley 4,236 
			 Leeds 3,926 
			 Liverpool 4,320 
			 Manchester 4,571 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 4,096 
			 North Tyneside 3,836 
			 Oldham 4,118 
			 Rochdale 4,171 
			 Rotherham 4,045 
			 Salford 4,309 
			 Sandwell 4,214 
			 Sefton 3,917 
			 Sheffield 3,947 
			 Solihull 3,750 
			 South Tyneside 4,092 
			 St. Helens 3,977 
			 Stockport 3,902 
			 Sunderland 3,990 
			 Tameside 3,983 
			 Trafford 3,852 
			 Wakefield 3,881 
			 Walsall 4,023 
			 Wigan 3,948 
			 Wirral 3,937 
			 Wolverhampton 4,145 
		
	
	
		
			  Unitary authorities  2008-09 guaranteed per pupil unit of funding (£) 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 3,891 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 4,254 
			 Blackpool 3,982 
			 Bournemouth 3,825 
			 Bracknell Forest 4,017 
			 Brighton and Hove 4,103 
			 Bristol, City of 4,366 
			 Darlington 3,944 
			 Derby 3,978 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 3,715 
			 Halton 4,226 
			 Hartlepool 4,029 
			 Herefordshire 3,687 
			 Isle of Wight 4,051 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 4,168 
			 Leicester 4,151 
			 Luton 4,251 
			 Medway 4,034 
			 Middlesbrough 4,182 
			 Milton Keynes 4,080 
			 North East Lincolnshire 4,134 
			 North Lincolnshire 3,822 
			 North Somerset 3,757 
			 Nottingham 4,500 
			 Peterborough 4,098 
			 Plymouth 3,889 
			 Poole 3,724 
			 Portsmouth 4,061 
			 Reading 4,260 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 3,990 
			 Rutland 3,898 
			 Slough 4,404 
			 South Gloucestershire 3,647 
			 Southampton 4,117 
			 Southend-on-Sea 4,026 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 3,960 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 4,070 
			 Swindon 3,775 
			 Telford and Wrekin 3,911 
			 Thurrock 4,141 
			 Torbay 3,922 
			 Warrington 3,819 
			 West Berkshire 3,984 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 4,040 
			 Wokingham 3,844 
			 York 3,801 
		
	
	
		
			  Upper tier authorities  2008-09 guaranteed per pupil unit of funding (£) 
			 Bedfordshire 3,817 
			 Buckinghamshire 3,899 
			 Cambridgeshire 3,787 
			 Cheshire 3,880 
			 Cornwall 3,742 
			 Cumbria 3,831 
			 Derbyshire 3,825 
			 Devon 3,707 
			 Dorset 3,799 
			 Durham 3,982 
			 East Sussex 3,997 
			 Essex 3,924 
			 Gloucestershire 3,744 
			 Hampshire 3,824 
			 Hertfordshire 3,896 
			 Kent 3,938 
			 Lancashire 3,927 
			 Leicestershire 3,596 
			 Lincolnshire 3,795 
			 Norfolk 3,807 
			 North Yorkshire 3,854 
			 Northamptonshire 3,785 
			 Northumberland 3,711 
			 Nottinghamshire 3,842 
			 Oxfordshire 3,870 
			 Shropshire 3,715 
			 Somerset 3,752 
			 Staffordshire 3,776 
			 Suffolk 3,763 
			 Surrey 3,976 
			 Warwickshire 3,789 
			 West Sussex 3,877 
			 Wiltshire 3,713 
			 Worcestershire 3,729 
			  Notes: 1. This covers funding through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). 2. This figure does not represent the totality of 'education' funding allocated in that year.

Schools

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what studies his Department has  (a) conducted and  (b) reviewed on the ideal size of state schools in urban and rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 3 March 2008
	The Department commissioned an international research review in 2004 on the impact of secondary school size on student, teacher and school outcomes. The research was conducted by the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating (EPPI) Centre at the Institute of Education, University of London on behalf of the Department. The research found no consistent relationship between the size of the school and pupil outcomes and was based mainly on studies from the US. The Department has not commissioned research to investigate the question of ideal school size in urban or rural areas, or on ideal primary school size.
	The Secretary of State will not be making a statement on this issue.

Schools: Health Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of schools in each local authority have achieved healthy school status; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The numbers and proportions of schools who have achieved National Healthy School Status for each local authority as at 21 February 2008, are shown on the following table.
	The National Healthy Schools Programme (NHSP) promotes a whole school approach to health. Nationally, over 57 per cent. (12,484) of schools are now Healthy Schools which means the programme is on track to meet its published target of 75 per cent. of schools achieving National Healthy School Status by the end of December 2009.
	
		
			  National healthy schools programme 21 February 2008 
			   Number of schools with national healthy schools status  Percentage of eligible schools with national healthy schools status 
			  East Midlands   
			 City of Derby 51 53 
			 City of Nottingham 69 60 
			 Derbyshire 186 44 
			 Leicester City 59 54 
			 Leicestershire 180 63 
			 Lincolnshire 207 55 
			 Northamptonshire 139 43 
			 Nottinghamshire 194 55 
			 Rutland 9 43 
			  East of England   
			 Bedfordshire 113 53 
			 Cambridgeshire 118 49 
			 City of Peterborough 56 78 
			 Essex 231 40 
			 Hertfordshire 343 66 
			 Luton 40 56 
			 Norfolk 138 32 
			 Southend-on-Sea 25 45 
			 Suffolk 96 26 
			 Thurrock 22 39 
			  London   
			 Barking and Dagenham 34 57 
			 Barnet 55 48 
			 Bexley 82 100 
			 Brent 29 36 
			 Bromley 57 59 
			 Camden 42 70 
			 Corporation of London 0 0 
			 Croydon 60 48 
			 Ealing 47 55 
			 Enfield 75 82 
			 Greenwich 57 69 
			 Hackney 39 54 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 40 80 
			 Haringey 51 64 
			 Harrow 15 22 
			 Havering 57 65 
			 Hillingdon 36 40 
			 Hounslow 41 51 
			 Islington 41 67 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 21 64 
			 Kingston-Upon-Thames 28 56 
			 Lambeth 47 57 
			 Lewisham 47 53 
			 Merton 29 54 
			 Newham 46 54 
			 Redbridge 28 37 
			 Richmond-Upon-Thames 35 67 
			 Southwark 63 65 
			 Sutton 42 70 
			 Tower Hamlets 57 62 
			 Waltham Forest 48 62 
			 Wandsworth 25 32 
			 Westminster 25 49 
			  North East   
			 Darlington 8 21 
			 Durham 123 44 
			 Gateshead 47 55 
			 Hartlepool 25 64 
			 Middlesbrough 40 67 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 62 65 
			 North Tyneside 33 41 
			 Northumberland 98 48 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 35 58 
			 South Tyneside 27 40 
			 Stockton on Tees 60 75 
			 Sunderland 13 12 
			  North West   
			 Blackburn with Darwen 47 66 
			 Blackpool 21 51 
			 Bolton 50 39 
			 Bury 51 61 
			 Cheshire 185 57 
			 Cumbria 192 58 
			 Halton 58 88 
			 Knowsley 44 60 
			 Lancashire 547 89 
			 Liverpool 98 54 
			 Manchester 83 48 
			 Oldham 63 57 
			 Rochdale 60 67 
			 Salford 67 66 
			 Sefton 64 61 
			 St. Helens 47 68 
			 Stockport 65 57 
			 Tameside 53 53 
			 Trafford 60 64 
			 Warrington 51 59 
			 Wigan 102 76 
			 Wirral 75 57 
			  South East   
			 Bracknell Forest 27 71 
			 Brighton and Hove 51 72 
			 Buckinghamshire 82 35 
			 East Sussex 139 71 
			 Hampshire 310 58 
			 Isle of Wight 29 41 
			 Kent 369 62 
			 Medway Towns 63 57 
			 Milton Keynes 64 57 
			 Oxfordshire 191 68 
			 Portsmouth 42 63 
			 Reading 23 48 
			 Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead 39 64 
			 Slough 24 59 
			 Southampton 45 54 
			 Surrey 241 59 
			 West Berkshire 36 44 
			 West Sussex 121 41 
			 Wokingham 40 63 
			  South West   
			 Bath and North East Somerset 49 62 
			 Bournemouth 26 65 
			 City of Bristol 105 73 
			 City of Plymouth 62 61 
			 Cornwall 175 63 
			 Devon 242 66 
			 Dorset 118 66 
			 Gloucestershire 240 78 
			 Isles of Scilly 1 100 
			 North Somerset 41 49 
			 Poole 28 68 
			 Somerset 171 62 
			 South Gloucestershire 94 82 
			 Swindon 59 73 
			 Torbay 24 55 
			 Wiltshire 133 56 
			  West Midlands   
			 Birmingham 190 46 
			 Coventry 76 64 
			 Dudley 82 74 
			 Herefordshire 73 72 
			 Sandwell 69 57 
			 Shropshire 127 77 
			 Solihull 20 23 
			 Staffordshire 185 47 
			 Stoke on Trent 56 58 
			 Telford and Wrekin 26 35 
			 Walsall 64 56 
			 Warwickshire 94 39 
			 Wolverhampton 52 49 
			 Worcestershire 163 66 
			
			  Yorkshire and Humber   
			 Barnsley 45 46 
			 Bradford 120 59 
			 Calderdale 60 57 
			 City of York 53 78 
			 Doncaster 79 60 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 79 52 
			 Kingston Upon Hull 43 44 
			 Kirklees 112 59 
			 Leeds 172 63 
			 North East Lincs 39 58 
			 North Lines 52 63 
			 North Yorkshire 234 61 
			 Rotherham 97 77 
			 Sheffield 102 57 
			 Wakefield 104 70

Schools: Public Private Partnerships

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to approve further public-private partnership projects to fund the building and refurbishing of schools in England.

Jim Knight: DCSF has been allocated £1.320 billion PFI credits in each financial year of the comprehensive spending period 2008 to 2011. Public Private Partnership projects, including PFI continue to form a significant part of the Department's capital programme.
	PFI is used in capital procurement where it demonstratively provides the public sector with better value for money in procuring modern, high quality services from the private sector. Typically, PFI offers better value for money than conventional design and build procurement methods for schools which are almost wholly new build.

Schools: Sports

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) females and  (b) males play competitive sport in schools in (i) Staffordshire and (ii) England.

Kevin Brennan: These data have not been collected centrally. The annual School Sport Survey collects data relating to PE and School Sport at a school, rather than pupil level.

Schools: Sports

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the implications of the recent data published by the NHS Information Centre on childhood obesity for the assessment of performance against the Government's relevant targets; and what impact these data have had on the strategy for school sport.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 29 February 2008
	The NHS Information Centre recently published the results of the National Child Measurement Programme for the 2006-07 school year. The main purpose of the programme is to inform trend analysis and the effective development, planning and delivery of children's services at national and local levels. The NCMP data also underpin the local indicators in both the national indicator set for local authorities and the vital signs indicators for primary care trusts. Guidance has been issued to local areas on how they can use NCMP data to inform goal setting for these child obesity indicators. The national PSA target will be monitored through the Health Survey for England.
	The NCMP is one of the largest collections of child height and weight data in the world and we are keen to ensure effective use of the data gathered, while ensuring the confidentiality of individual children who participated, including to inform the strategy for school sport. Within this constraint, the national anonymised dataset has already been made available to public health observatories to enable more detailed regional and local data analysis, including at school level.

Schools: Sports

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many children meeting the Government's two hours of high quality sport and physical education targets are  (a) overweight and  (b) obese;
	(2)  how the Government  (a) monitors and  (b) measures performance against the two hours of high quality sport and physical education public service agreement target; and who is responsible for (i) collecting and (ii) interpreting data;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library a copy of each document relating to the  (a) monitoring and  (b) measurement of performance against the two hours of high quality sport or PE public service agreement target.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 29 February 2008
	The annual school sport survey collects data relating to the percentage of 5 to16-year-olds who take part in at least two hours high quality PE and sport in a typical week. The survey is carried out on behalf of the Department by TNS, an independent research company who were awarded the contract to run the survey after a competitive procurement exercise.
	The survey does not collect data on take up of two hours PE and sport by overweight or obese children.
	Copies of the results of the latest survey have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Secondary Education

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which secondary schools in England achieved above average key stage 2 to 4 results in 2007.

Jim Knight: The performance of each school is published in the achievement and attainment tables. These can be found in the House of Commons Library. The median Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 4 CVA score for maintained mainstream schools (including CTCs and academies) is 1000.7.

Teachers: Early Retirement

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers took early retirement in  (a) Suffolk,  (b) Norfolk,  (c) Essex,  (d) Cambridgeshire,  (e) Bedfordshire,  (f) Hertfordshire and  (g) England in each year since 1997, broken down by type of institution.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the number of teachers awarded early retirement benefits whose last recorded service was in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire local authorities and for England by phase of education, in each year from 1997/98 to 2006/07.
	
		
			  Premature retirements( 1)  from local authority maintained schools, 1997/98 to 2006/07 
			   Bedfordshire  Cambridgeshire( 2)  Essex( 2)  Hertfordshire  Norfolk  England 
			  Nursery/Primary   
			 1997/98(3) 60 50 100 110 40 5,130 
			 1998/99 10 10 20 10 20 980 
			 1999/2000 10 10 20 20 20 1,080 
			 2000/01 10 20 30 30 30 1,490 
			 2001/02 10 10 50 40 30 1,520 
			 2002/03 10 20 50 40 30 1,810 
			 2003/04 10 30 50 30 60 2,160 
			 2004/05 (4) 20 20 50 40 60 2,640 
			 2005/06 (4) 10 30 60 60 50 2,810 
			 2006/07 (4) 20 20 70 60 60 3,150 
			  Secondary   
			 1997/98(3) 80 70 150 130 70 5,750 
			 1998/99 20 10 40 30 30 1,290 
			 1999/2000 20 20 50 20 20 1,470 
			 2000/01 20 20 20 40 20 1,520 
			 2001/02 20 10 40 50 30 1,760 
			 2002/03 30 10 40 40 40 1,970 
			 2003/04 50 20 50 30 40 2,570 
			 2004/05 (4) 20 30 80 50 60 3,170 
			 2005/06 (4) 30 30 70 50 70 3,550 
			 2006/07 (4) 20 30 80 80 60 4,000 
			  Special and PRUs   
			 1997/98(3) 10 — 20 10 — 470 
			 1998/99 — — — — — 100 
			 1999/2000 — — — — — 100 
			 2000/01 — — — — — 150 
			 2001/02 — — — — — 200 
			 2002/03 — — — — — 190 
			 2003/04 — 10 10 — — 210 
			 2004/05 (4) — — — — — 240 
			 2005/06 (4) — — 10 10 — 290 
			 2006/07 (4) — 10 — 10 — 320 
			  Total   
			 1997/98(3) 150 120 270 250 110 11,370 
			 1998/99 30 20 60 40 50 2,370 
			 1999/2000 20 30 70 40 50 2,650 
			 2000/01 30 40 50 70 50 3,160 
			 2001/02 30 20 90 80 60 3,470 
			 2002/03 40 30 90 80 70 3,960 
			 2003/04 60 50 100 60 100 4,930 
			 2004/05 (4) 40 50 130 90 120 6,060 
			 2005/06 (4) 40 60 130 120 120 6,640 
			 2006/07 (4) 40 50 150 150 120 7,460 
			 (1) Premature retirements include actuarially reduced benefit awards from 2000/01. (2) Cambridgeshire and Essex local authorities were re-organised on 1 April 1998 and therefore the figures for 1997/98 are for the former local authority areas including Peterborough (Cambridgeshire) and Southend and Thurrock (Essex). (3.) The effect of the change in the Teachers' Pension Scheme as from 31 August 1997 was that many more teachers took early retirement in 1997/98 than in other years. (4) Provisional estimates. All years may be subject to slight revision due to the addition of retrospective awards and suspension of pension benefits where teachers return to service.  Source:  Database of Teacher Records (DTR) and Pensioner Statistical System Penstats.

Teachers: Labour Turnover

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers in Yorkshire and the Humber have left the profession within  (a) one year,  (b) five years and  (c) 10 years of completing their qualified teacher status induction period since its inception; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Teaching Methods: Finance

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the timetable is for the national implementation of funding for local authorities to pay for one-to-one tuition for children in English and mathematics following the Making Good Progress pilot project; what other provisions of the project are to be implemented nationally; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Government have committed to the delivery of national one-to-one tuition for 300,000 pupils in English and 300,000 pupils in mathematics by 2010-11. However, we expect that some tuition will also take place on a national basis in the financial year 2009-10.
	School progression targets to improve the proportions of pupils making two levels of progress within a key stage are being introduced in pilot schools in the academic year 2008/09, with national progression targets coming on stream for all schools from the academic year 2009/10.
	All other elements of the pilot, including the financial premium and single level tests, will be subject to further evaluation before any decision is made about whether to implement them on a national basis.

Truancy

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children are recorded as missing from education, broken down by age; how many have been so recorded in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested by the hon. Member is not available on a national basis. A new statutory duty commenced in February 2007 for local authorities to put robust systems in place to identify children missing from education. Local authorities have been busy implementing these systems over the past year and they should now be able to provide local level data on how many children are missing in their area. However, reliable information on how many children are missing from education cannot be produced nationally using current methods of collection. This information has never been collected. The Department is considering how to collect appropriate information on children missing from education in the future.

Young People: Public Participation

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Statement by the Prime Minister of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 667-72, on national security, when he expects the youth panel announced by the Prime Minister to be set up; who he expects its members to be; what he expects its costs to be; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	We are working jointly with Communities and Local Government to plan for and convene the youth panel later this year.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Buildings: Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) under-floor insulation and  (b) under-floor heating is taken into account when assessing the energy efficiency of a property for an energy performance certificate.

Caroline Flint: The energy efficiency of a new build domestic property is assessed using SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure), the Government's calculation methodology for assessing the energy efficiency of dwellings. It includes provision for accounting for  (a) under-floor insulation and  (b) under-floor heating.
	Existing dwellings are assessed by Reduced Data SAP (RdSAP) which makes assumptions about floor insulation based on the age of the property.
	The energy efficiency of the vast majority of commercial buildings is assessed using SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model) which takes account of both under-floor insulation and under-floor heating.

Bus Services

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate her Department has made of the effect on local authorities' expenditure of free or subsidised bus shelters provided by advertising companies;
	(2)  what estimate her Department has made of the effect on its expenditure if free or subsidised bus shelters were no longer provided by advertising companies.

John Healey: The Department has made no estimate of the effect on either its own expenditure or of expenditure by local authorities as a result of the continuation or cessation of free or subsidised bus shelters provided by advertising companies.

Business: Non-Domestic Rates

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 29 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 226-27W, on business: non-domestic rates, what records her Department holds of the rates of levy applicable in each business improvement district.

John Healey: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Casinos: Greater Manchester

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings the regional Minister for the North West has had with  (a) Councillor Richard Leese,  (b) the hon. Member for Manchester Central and  (c) the Prime Minister on the super-casino proposal for Manchester.

Hazel Blears: The regional Minister for the North West has not had any meetings with those suggested on the super-casino proposal for Manchester.

Community Relations: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department plans to spend on  (a) the development of the new web-based one stop shop on cohesion,  (b) the deployment of teams to support areas undergoing particularly rapid change,  (c) the programme of work to realise increased inter-faith dialogue and social interaction within communities and  (d) placing work with key partners on a more strategic footing in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09, (iii) 2009-10 and (iv) 2010-11, as referred to in the Government's response to the Commission on Integration and Cohesion.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Government have made a substantial increase in funding for cohesion in the Spending Review and we are currently developing plans for a wide range of activity, as set out in the Government's response to the final report of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion.
	With respect to increasing inter faith dialogue and interaction, in 2007-08, £4.982 million was spent on the faith communities capacity building fund, one of whose objectives was increased inter faith activity; £175,000 was granted to the inter faith network; and a contract for research in support of the current consultation on inter faith dialogue and activity has been let to the faith based regeneration network for £32,700. Plans for work to promote inter faith dialogue and action for 2008-09 to 2010-11 have not yet been finalised. However, we are developing an inter faith strategy (which is currently out for consultation) and this will set the framework for future resourcing decisions. Plans for the one stop shop on cohesion, teams to support areas facing rapid change and placing work with key partners on a more strategic footing are currently being developed. No expenditure has yet been committed for 2007-08 to 2010-11.

Council Tax

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what measure of inflation local authorities will base council tax changes in 2008-09.

John Healey: The level of council tax is a matter for local authorities, not central Government.

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the salary range is for each pay band of civil servants in her Department.

Parmjit Dhanda: For the senior civil service (SCS), for whom reward arrangements are managed centrally by the Cabinet Office, the 2007-08 pay ranges are:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Minimum  C eiling 
			 SCS Pay Band 1 56,100 116,000 
			 SCS Pay Band 1A 65,280 127,000 
			 SCS Pay Band 2 81,600 160,000 
			 SCS Pay Band 3 99,960 205,000 
		
	
	For staff below the SCS the 2007-08 the pay ranges in DCLG are:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Minimum  Maximum 
			 Typists (National) 15,876 17,899 
			 Typist (London) 19,317 21,779 
			 Administrative Assistant (National) 14,959 16,350 
			 Administrative Assistant (London) 18,402 20,114 
			 Administrative Officer (National) 18,973 21,123 
			 Administrative Officer (London) 22,098 24,601 
			 Executive Officer (National) 21,842 26,866 
			 Executive Officer (London) 24,461 30,086 
			 Higher Executive Officer (National) 25,547 31,423 
			 Higher Executive Officer (London) 28,105 34,568 
			 Senior Executive Officer (National) 31,525 38,775 
			 Senior Executive Officer (London) 33,922 41,723 
			 Grade 7 (National) 38,962 51,916 
			 Grade 7 (London) 42,435 56,544 
			 Grade 6 (National) 47,880 63,800 
			 Grade 6 (London) 52,292 69,678

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what private finance initiative projects were approved within her Department in each of the last three financial years; and what the  (a) value and  (b) start date was of each.

Parmjit Dhanda: The capital value and start date for every signed PFI project are recorded centrally on the Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public_private_partnerships/ppp_pfi_stats.cfm.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of her Department's expenditure was allocated to Government growth areas in the last year for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: In 2007-08 Communities and Local Government has allocated:
	£122.1 million through the Growth Areas Fund to support delivery in the three newer Growth Areas of Ashford, London-Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough and Milton Keynes/South Midlands;
	£182 million through the Thames Gateway Fund; and
	£41.8 million through the Growth Points Fund to support delivery in the 29 existing Growth Points.
	This equates to around 3.3 per cent. of the total DEL budget.
	Information on the total amount of departmental funding which is directed at the growth areas through other programmes is not available other than at disproportionate cost.

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fire engines were operating in Dorset Fire and Rescue Service in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007-08.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 3 March 2008
	In 1997 Dorset had 44 operational fire engines, while in 2006 there were 41. Figures for 2007-08 are not yet available.

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service: Emergency Calls

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average response time of Dorset Fire and Rescue Service to emergency call-outs was in each of the last 24 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer March 2008
	The most recent fire statistics available are for 2006 and only cover response times for primary fires. Response times on incidents, other than primary fires are not available. The following table shows Dorset Fire and Rescue Service's average response time, in minutes, to primary fires, by month, for 2005 and 2006.
	
		
			  Table 1: Average response times in minutes, by month, to primary fires( 1)  by Dorset FRS area, 2005 and 2006( 2)  (time of call and time of mobilisation to time of arrival) 
			  Month  2005  2006 
			   First call to attendance  Mobilisation to attendance  First call to attendance  Mobilisation to attendance 
			 January 6.78 440 8.08 4.68 
			 February 7.29 4.92 8.09 4.70 
			 March 8.15 4.70 7.82 4.39 
			 April 7.98 448 8.04 4.33 
			 May 7.48 4.26 8.46 4.75 
			 June 8.44 4.97 8.47 5.01 
			 July 8.20 4.65 9.24 5.37 
			 August 8.37 4.98 8.89 5.09 
			 September 7.98 4.66 8.08 4.72 
			 October 8.54 5.23 7.70 4.44 
			 November 7.92 4.54 7.42 4.50 
			 December 7.52 3.94 7.90 4.56 
			 (1) Incidents with a response time greater than 59 minutes are excluded as response time data maybe incorrect and will therefore skew the averages. (2) Data for 2006 is provisional and subject to change.

Eco-Towns

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's definition of an eco-town is.

Caroline Flint: The definition of an eco-town is set out in the Eco-towns Prospectus, which was published alongside the Housing Green paper last July, and is available in the House Library.

Eco-Towns: Planning

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consultation the Government have had with local planning authorities before potential sites for eco-towns are announced by developers; what planning procedures apply to eco-towns; what criteria she will use to ensure the sites chosen do not adversely affect the environment; and whether there will be a presumption against building eco-towns on  (a) functional floodplains and  (b) the green belt.

Caroline Flint: We are contacting local authorities in areas where schemes look to have good potential as part of an initial assessment of bids and expect to publish proposals shortly. We are aware that some developers have already publicised their bids and that is a decision for them.
	In terms of the planning process I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Banbury (Tony Baldry) on 16 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1262W.
	In relation to ensuring the environment is not adversely affected I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) on 29 February 2006,  Official Report, column 1991W. This will ensure that development on floodplains and the green belt are considered in the usual way as part of the planning process.

Female Genital Mutilation

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authority social services departments have reported evidence of female circumcision among their ethnic minority communities; and what steps she has taken to tackle the practice of female circumcision in ethnic minority communities.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	Data on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) are not collected or held centrally by the Department of Health (DH), the Department responsible for adult services, or the department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), the Department responsible for children's services.
	We are taking the following steps to tackle the practice of FGM:
	DH has provided grant aid to the Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development (FORWARD) for work on the prevalence of FGM, which will help local authorities plan services for the communities affected by FGM.
	DCSF's publication 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' has been issued to local agencies including local authorities. This document includes guidance on the need to identify children at risk of FGM and take action to safeguard them.
	To raise awareness of the risks of FGM, and to discourage its practice, DCSF is currently providing a specialist voluntary organisation (Agency for Culture Change Management) with more than £130,000 over three years in order to: raise the profile of the dangers of FGM to girls across black and minority ethnic communities; and provide training for professionals on protection from FGM and treating those already harmed.
	'Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education', which came into force in January 2007, also contains guidance about FGM and signposts further sources of information available on the DCSF's teachernet website.
	FGM is recognised as a form of domestic abuse highlighted in 'Responding to domestic abuse: A handbook for health professionals', published by DH in January 2006.
	There are at least 10 specialist clinics in the NHS which treat women and girls who have been mutilated. These clinics all have trained and culturally sensitive staff who offer a range of health care services for women and girls including reversal surgery.

Fire Services: Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of leasing regional FireControl Project centres prior to them becoming fully operational; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The rent and other accommodation costs (excluding business rates which have yet to be set) that will be met by Communities and Local Government before the Regional Control Centre network is fully operational is estimated to be £20,019,391. During this period EADS, the technology supplier, will install the new FireControl technology in the buildings. The buildings will also be occupied by the regional project teams overseeing the work required to prepare for cut-over to the new system.

Fire Services: Mergers

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department plans to fund research into the potential for efficiencies from mergers of fire and rescue authorities; and if she will make a statement on her plans for further restructuring of fire authorities.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Fire and Resilience research programme for 2008-09 is currently being considered and prioritised.
	The Government have no plans for compulsory restructuring of Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs). The Government have long recognised that there are some challenges both organisational and operational for which FRAs working in isolation do not have the capacity to provide the most efficient, effective and economical response. Their approach has therefore been to encourage better joint working and co-operation between FRAs on a voluntary basis including, where there are clear efficiency and effectiveness benefits to be gained, the combination of two or more FRAs.

Fire Services: Recruitment

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) target and  (b) actual number of fire brigade officers recruited in England and Wales was in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The number of successful firefighter applicants (whole-time and retained) are shown as follows:
	
		
			  Successful firefighter applicants: England and Wales 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			   Number 
			 2001-02 3,175 
			 2002-03 2,977 
			 2003-04 2,874 
			 2004-05 2,239 
			 2005-06 2,606 
		
	
	There is currently no national recruitment target for firefighters in England. Fire and Rescue Authorities may have their own local recruitment targets.

Government Offices for the Regions: Finance

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the capital budget for each of the Government Offices for the Regions is for  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09,  (c) 2009-10 and  (d) 2010-11.

Parmjit Dhanda: The capital budgets in 2007-08 are as set out in the following table:
	
		
			  GO  Capital budget (£) 
			 North East 0 
			 Yorks and Humber 1,548,000 
			 East Midlands 120,000 
			 South East 70,000 
			 London 0 
			 North West 110,000 
			 West Midlands 105,000 
			 East 0 
			 South West 0 
			 Total 1,953,000 
		
	
	In addition the Regional Co-ordination Unit holds the balance of the total budget of £2,860,000 for any ICT or central infrastructure capital requirements.
	The specific capital budgets for each region for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 have yet to be set though the annual budget is £2,860,000.

Home Information Packs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many voluntary home condition reports have been logged on the Home Condition Report Register to date.

Caroline Flint: The number of voluntary home condition reports which have been lodged on the home condition report register up to 27 February 2008 is 1,743.

Home Information Packs: Pilot Schemes

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total cost of the home information pack area trials has been to date, broken down by main budget heading.

Caroline Flint: My Department has spent approximately £3.6 million to date on the area trials.

Homes and Communities Agency: Greater London

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how London boroughs will be represented on the London sub-committee of the Homes and Communities Agency.

Caroline Flint: I have agreed with the chief executive designate of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the Mayor of London that we expect London boroughs to be actively involved through participation on the sub-committee of the HCA Board and involvement in the delivery of individual schemes on the ground, reflecting their key role in delivering housing in London.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2008,  Official Report, column 583W, on housing: low incomes, what the overall APRs would be in scenarios  (b) and  (c) of the answer, given the effect of interest being charged at three per cent. a year after the first five years on part two of the equity loan.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Housing: Low Incomes

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it her policy to deliver affordable housing equally in urban and rural areas.

Iain Wright: The Government expect to see increased delivery of housing supply, particularly in terms of affordable housing, to meet needs in all parts of the country. Delivery should be based on regional and local priorities with an assessment of the need for affordable housing after taking into account household growth projections and other socio-economic factors. In the next three years, for the purpose of setting targets, we have focussed on those smaller rural settlements where delivery is the most challenging. Our new national target commits the Housing Corporation to deliver 10,300 completed affordable housing units in settlements of less than 3,000 inhabitants over the period 2008-11.

Immigrants: Information Services

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities she expects to have produced information packs for newcomers to the UK by the end of  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009; what guidance her Department plans to provide to local authorities on the information to be included in such packs; and what steps her Department plans to take to encourage production of such packs.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government has worked with the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) to produce a Migrant Information Pack template which was published on the IDeA website on 4 February. Local authorities have been encouraged to use this new resource however are not obliged to do so. At the same time we published, on the Communities website, a note which explains the purpose of the template and encourages local authorities to produce information packs.

Local Authorities: Reorganisation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 7 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1297W, on local authorities: reorganisation, whether her Department will direct the Boundary Committee to take account of  (a) the views of local residents and  (b) local identities when deciding whether to restructure local authority areas across (i) traditional and (ii) existing shire and county boundaries.

John Healey: The Secretary of State has no such power of direction. I announced on 6 February 2008,  Official Report, column 67WS that we have requested the Boundary Committee to advise on whether there are any alternative unitary proposals for Exeter, Ipswich and Norwich and surrounding areas that would deliver the outcomes specified by the five criteria specified in our request. The Boundary Committee is required to consult on any alternative proposals that it identifies.

Multiple Occupation: Foreign Workers

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government has taken to improve fire safety in multi-occupancy housing areas with large migrant worker populations.

Caroline Flint: As part of the "Fire Kills campaign" we have run a series of fire safety advertisements in some of the main Polish newspapers in England to promote smoke alarm ownership and maintenance messages. The Government have also implemented management regulations that apply to all houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). The management regulations impose a variety of duties on landlords of such properties, including requirements to keep means of escape from fire free from obstruction and in repair and to maintain fire fighting equipment and alarms. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, 'responsible persons' are required to carry out and implement a fire risk assessment for the commons and shared parts of an HMO. The Government have also introduced mandatory HMO licensing of properties of three or more storeys, housing five or more persons who form two or more households. Landlords of licensable HMOs are required to install smoke alarms and to keep them in proper working order. Landlords who fail to comply with either the management regulations or licence conditions are subject to a fine of £5,000.

Multiple Occupation: Foreign Workers

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government has taken to improve waste disposal services in multi-occupancy housing areas with large migrant worker populations.

Caroline Flint: The Government have implemented management regulations that apply to all houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). The management regulations impose a variety of duties on the managers of such properties, including the duty to provide waste disposal facilities and ensure arrangements are in place for the disposal of refuse and litter from the property using the waste disposal services provided by the local authority. A breach of a management regulation is subject to a fine of £5,000.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to begin the review of the licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation.

Caroline Flint: The Department is committed to an ongoing review of the operation and effectiveness of the Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing regime. As part of this process the Department has recently introduced flexibility for local authorities in respect of the prescribed standards for the numbers of toilets, bathrooms and wash hand basins in all HMOs. The Department is committed to the Building Research Establishment (BRE) conducting a study in 2008-09 on the practical implication, effectiveness and impact of the HMO licensing regime since implementation.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 7 December 2006,  Official Report, column 703W, on houses in multiple occupation, how many applications for houses in multiple occupation licences have been  (a) received and  (b) approved in each local authority since April 2006.

Caroline Flint: Up to 4 February 2008, 265 local authorities had provided information on the number of applications received for licences for houses in multiple occupation and these totalled 24,926. 239 local authorities had also provided information on the number of licenses issued or refused and these totalled 14,193 and 93 respectively. This left 10,640 for which an outcome had yet to be notified in a usable form to the Department. It is the local authorities with substantial numbers of applications where the usable data is outstanding. The Department is working with these authorities to resolve this issue.
	51 local authorities had confirmed that they had received no applications and 38 local authorities had provided no information. The full list of local authority returns has been placed in the Library of the House.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what sanctions are available to her Department to take action against local authorities who do not implement the licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation.

Caroline Flint: A local authority that does not implement the mandatory licensing scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) under the Housing Act 2004 is failing in its statutory duty, and could therefore be challenged through the courts.

Natural Gas: Safety Measures

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many prosecutions there were of landlords for breach of gas safety regulations in residential properties in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			  Proceedings instituted by HSE under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use)Regulations 1994 and 1998 
			   Total offences prosecuted  Offences prosecuted against s35( 1)  then s36( 1 ) (landlords duties) 
			 1997-98 192 46 
			 1998-99 237 62 
			 1999-2000 208 49 
			 2000-01 185 94 
			 2001-02 191 88 
			 2002-03 111 21 
			 2003-04 97 28 
			 2004-05 74 9 
			 2005-06 89 31 
			 2006-07 104 9 
			 (1) Landlords' duties under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994 regulation 35 paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) were revoked by Gas Safety (Installation and use) Regulations 1998 regulation 36.  Note: Offences prosecuted refer to an individual breach of health and safety legislation; a prosecution case may include more than one offence.

NHS: Public Participation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to broaden the membership of local involvement networks compared to patients' forums; and what assessment she has made of the impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review funding settlement for local involvement networks on that broadening.

Ann Keen: I have been asked to reply.
	Local involvement networks (LINks) will enable genuine involvement of a far greater number of people than is currently available under patients' forums, ensuring local communities have a stronger voice in the process of commissioning health and social care and enabling them to influence key decisions about the services they both use and pay for.
	LINks offer several key benefits over patients' forums:
	they will cover health and social care services (rather than just health);
	they will give more people the opportunity to become involved;
	they will build on the work of voluntary and community sector groups; and,
	they will be flexible to local circumstances (rather than being centrally prescribed).
	These changes are aimed at promoting open and transparent communication between communities and the health service, and will develop trust and confidence, increasing accountability to local people.
	We know from the experience of patients forums that the statutory nature of membership has limited their diversity. We are clear that LINks must be able to be flexible and reflect the nature of local communities. We therefore do not wish to centrally prescribe details on membership. However, we do think it is important to provide models of good practice in terms of recruitment, support and conduct of those involved in LINk activity and these will be set out in LINks guidance.
	The Department received an allocation of £84 million over three years from HM Treasury to fund the establishment and costs incurred by LINks and has no plans to bid for any further funds.
	Although the remit of LINks and levels of involvement will be greater than those of forums, we believe that they will be able to make better use of existing levels of funding by drawing on the resources and activities, which are already present in local communities.

Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre: Government Departments

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what bookings the QEII Conference Centre has arranged, at commercial rates, for Whitehall-based Government departments in the last six months.

Parmjit Dhanda: All room-hire bookings made by the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre are arranged at commercial rates for whichever sector is making the booking. Details of bookings made by or for Government Departments and their arm's length bodies from September 2007 to February 2008 are as follows:
	
		
			  Organisation  Event Description 
			 Department for Communities and Local Government (00030077) Preventing Extremism : Strengthening Communities Learning from the Pathfinder Year 
			 The Office of Government Commerce (00032923) OGC—ASSET MANAGEMENT 2008 
			 Home Office (00044159) Leadership and Learning Directorate Away Day 
			 Department for Communities and Local Government (00030077) DCLG Conference 
			 Central Office of Information (00029689) COI Roadshow 
			 UK Trade and Investment (00042288) Emerging Markets Forum 
			 Department for Children, Schools and Families (00044010) DCSF Conference 
			 Department for Transport (00007266) Department for Transport 
			 National School of Government (00004391) National School of Government 
			 Learning and Skills Council (00037765) Learning and Skills Council 
			 Department for Communities and Local Government (00044016) DCLG Conference 2008 
			 Department for Work and Pensions—C/o NYS Corporate Limited (00044457) Unlocking Britain's Talent 
			 UK Trade and Investment (00042288) UK Inward Investment Annual Review 
			 Department for Children, Schools and Families (00042554) Department for Children, Schools and Families 
			 R Glasgow and Associates Public Relations Limited (00039813) Senior Civil Service Conference, Leading the Home Office 
			 Department for Children, Schools and Families (00044010) Celebrating Success 
			 NEIL STEWART ASSOCIATES LTD (00004327) Local Area Agreements 3(rd) Annual Conference 
			 NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement (00031725) NHS Live in partnership with NESTA 
			 NEIL STEWART ASSOCIATES LTD (00004327) Environment Agency Conference Annual 2008 REF SW113 
			 Department for Children, Schools and Families (00044010) DCSF Childcare Providers Conference 
			 Department for Transport (00007266) National Business Travel Network -Better Transport, Better Business 
			 Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (00044306) Getting the UK Vocational Qualifications System Right : A Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity 
			 Legal Services Commission (00044283) Legal Services Commission Reception 
			 Learning and Skills Council (00037765) Making Sense of the Skills Pledge 
			 R Glasgow and Associates Public Relations Limited (00039813) Home Office Conference 
			 Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (00044382) Business Priority for a Global Europe 
			 National School of Government (00004391) NSG Strategy Conference 
			 Central Office of Information (00029689) Our NHS, Our Future—Improving Quality 
			 National School of Government (00004391) National School of Government Conference 
			 R Glasgow and Associates Public Relations Limited (00039813) Home Office Conference 
			 RS Live (00004013) Quality Improvement Agency Conference 
			 HM Treasury (00036783) FATF Meeting

Regional Ministers

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which stakeholders regional Ministers consulted on the Government draft legislative programme in September and October of 2007; what response regional Ministers made to each of these stakeholders; and what steps were taken as a result of this consultation.

Parmjit Dhanda: As stated in the answer given to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May), on 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1157W, all Regional Ministers consulted with stakeholders on the Government draft legislative programme in September and October. In addition a number wrote to interested parties inviting their views. Among those consulted were representatives from local authorities, business, public institutions, voluntary and community sectors, hon. Members and Noble Lords, and environmental groups.
	Regional Ministers were asked to lead a discussion with regional stakeholders on the Government draft legislative programme and all comments received by Regional Ministers were forwarded to the Cabinet Office. To provide further information on responses to stakeholders and further steps taken, would incur disproportionate costs.

Regional Ministers: Community Development

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many meetings have taken place between regional Ministers and Treasury officials to discuss regeneration in each Minister's region since the regional Ministers were appointed.

Parmjit Dhanda: Information relating to internal discussion and advice is not disclosed.

Social Rented Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she has plans to replace the MoveUK scheme with different arrangements.

Caroline Flint: The Government recognise the importance of promoting mobility within the social housing sector. In July we re-launched two of the former moveUK schemes, the Seaside and Country Homes and LAWN, and these are on target to deliver 500 to 600 mobility (home moves) per year.
	We have also announced additional funding of £3.8 million to support sub-regional choice based lettings schemes to widen the scope for mobility.
	We are also considering how best to support and facilitate other wider national mobility options.

Social Rented Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the cause of the recent performance of the MoveUK scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement of 18 September 2006,  Official Report, column 133WS, on Housing Employment Mobility Services (moveUK). The then Minister for Housing and Planning outlined that the Department
	'decided to terminate this agreement in the interests of the public and the taxpayer because of serious concerns about the performance and fitness for purpose of the software developed by SSPL [the Contractor] to provide those services'.

Social Rented Housing: Sales

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of total revenue of registered social landlords in England and Wales was generated from sales of property in the latest period for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: The global accounts 2006 published by the Housing Corporation (the regulator for housing associations in England) show that turnover for the social landlord sector was £9,061 million of which the surplus on sales of assets amounted to £536 million, 6 per cent. of the total revenue.
	Due to the way various sales are disclosed within the accounts, it is not possible to arrive at the complete figure for sales of properties. Significantly, the surplus on sales figure stated above is the net result of revenue less cost and does not therefore reflect the full revenue from sales. In addition, housing associations derive revenue from the sale of shared ownership homes, a significant element of which is not included in the figure above.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Data Protection

Ben Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  whether the Sub-Committee on Information Security has a member of HM Treasury on it;
	(2)  whether the Sub-Committee on Information Security issued any instructions to  (a) HM Treasury,  (b) HM Revenue and Customs and  (c) the Department for Work and Pensions on information security in the last 12 months;
	(3)  whether the Sub-Committee on Information Security has received any reports of security breaches at  (a) HM Treasury,  (b) HM Revenue and Customs and  (c) the Department for Work and Pensions in the last two years;
	(4)  when the Sub-Committee on Information Security last discussed information security at HM Revenue and Customs;
	(5)  whether the Sub-Committee on Information Security found any weaknesses in the integrity system at  (a) HM Treasury and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs in the last two years;
	(6)  when the IT security officers forum met in the last three years; and whether a representative of  (a) HM Treasury and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs attended;
	(7)  whether minutes of the IT security officers forum will be made available to investigators looking at the recent HM Revenue and Customs data loss;
	(8)  whether the IT security officers forum has discussed security at  (a) HM Revenue and Customs and  (b) the Department for Work and Pensions in the last two years;
	(9)  when the last reassessment of risk was reported to his Office by  (a) each Government Department and  (b) his Office in accordance with section 0 (24) of the Manual of Protective Security;
	(10)  whether the Interdepartmental Committee on Protective Security has a member of HM Treasury on it;
	(11)  whether the Interdepartmental Committee on Protective Security has issued any instructions to  (a) HM Treasury,  (b) HM Revenue and Customs and  (c) the Department for Work and Pensions on information security in the last 12 months;
	(12)  whether the Interdepartmental Committee on Protective Security received any reports of security breaches at  (a) HM Treasury,  (b) HM Revenue and Customs and  (c) the Department for Work and Pensions in the last two years;
	(13)  when the Interdepartmental Committee on Protective Security last discussed information security at HM Revenue and Customs;
	(14)  whether the Interdepartmental Committee on Protective Security found any weakness in the integrity system at  (a) HM Treasury and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs during the last two years.

Edward Miliband: The Sub-Committee on Information Security and the Interdepartmental Committee on Protective Security were replaced in 2004 with sub-committees of the Official Committee on Security. It is established practice not to disclose the details of attendees and activities of official committees.

Departmental Responsibilities: Electronic Government

Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which projects relating to  (a) e-democracy,  (b) digital inclusion and  (c) transformational government are the responsibility of his Department.

Tom Watson: As set out in the comprehensive spending review the Minister for the Cabinet Office, who chairs the new Cabinet Committee on Public Engagement and the Delivery of Services, and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury hold operational departments to account for the delivery of the Transformational Government commitments within the Service Transformation Agreement. Each Secretary of State is responsible for the delivery of service transformation projects within his or her department.
	The Cabinet Office is not responsible for any projects on e-democracy or digital inclusion.

Drinking Water

John Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department spent on bottled water in the latest year for which figures are available.

Tom Watson: This information is not separately identified in the Cabinet Office accounts and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Non-Profit Making Associations

Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what his Department's  (a) procurement and  (b) tendering policy is in respect of social enterprises;
	(2)  how many contracts his Department has with social enterprises; and what the value of each of those contracts is.

Phil Hope: Businesses that are awarded contracts by the Cabinet Office are not currently required to state whether they are social enterprises and no detailed central record of contracts awarded is held. Therefore the information for the department as a whole is available only at disproportionate cost.
	Since 1 April 2007, the Office of the Third Sector within the Cabinet Office has contracted with a number of social enterprises and social enterprise representative bodies either as strategic partners and/or for other services including:
	CAN
	Cats Pyjamas
	Co-operatives UK
	Development Trusts Association
	The Innovation Exchange
	Pack-It
	Plunkett Foundation
	Prowess
	School for Social Entrepreneurs
	Social Enterprise Coalition
	Social Enterprise London
	Social Firms UK
	Society Media
	Striding Out
	The total value of the contracts and grants awarded to the social enterprises since 1 April 2007 is £3,583,300.

Office of the Third Sector: Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many full-time equivalent staff work within his Department's Office of the Third Sector.

Phil Hope: There are 54 full-time equivalent staff working in the Office of the Third Sector as at 28 February 2008.

Office of the Third Sector: Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff who work in the Office of the Third Sector were previously  (a) Government special advisers,  (b) Labour party employees and  (c) trades union employees.

Phil Hope: All civil servants are required to conduct themselves in accordance with the "Civil Service Code" and the "Civil Service Management Code". Information relating to an individual's employment history is confidential between an employer and an employee.

Public Appointments

John Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2008 to Question 184563, which public appointments, other than those for which his Department is directly responsible, Sir Alistair Graham has held; and what salary he has received in respect of those appointments, in each of the last five years.

Tom Watson: For information on Sir Alistair Graham's public appointments prior to June 2006, I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Member for North-West Durham (Hilary Armstrong) on 15 June 2006,  Official Report, columns 1378-9W.
	In addition to the public appointments for which the Cabinet Office are responsible, outlined in my earlier reply to him on 19 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 689-90W, other public appointments held by Sir Alistair since 2006 are set out in the following table with remuneration details:
	
		
			  Sponsor Department  Body  Position  Dates in post  Remuneration 
			 Department for Transport British Transport Police Authority Chair From 1 July 2004 for 4 years 60 days a year at £25,800 with inflationary rises. 
			 Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills Appeals Committee Registered as a potential Appeals Committee Chair Not used since 2006 0 
			 Ministry of Justice Employment Appeals Tribunal Member 1 April 2003 to date £4,852 since April 2006 
			 (7 days during 2006-07 at £276 per day and 10 days during 2007-08 at £292 per day)

Television

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many plasma television screens have been purchased by  (a) the Cabinet Office and its agencies and  (b) other offices for which he has responsibility in such matters, and at what cost in the last 24 months.

Tom Watson: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Voluntary Organisations

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the proportion of contracts awarded to third sector organisations that provide public services in Chorley constituency that are three-year contracts; and what progress has been made on increasing the proportion of such contracts which are of a three-year duration.

Phil Hope: This information is currently not held centrally.
	I will be reporting on government progress in meeting the three year funding commitment to HM Treasury on an annual basis. The first report will be made in the autumn 2008 and will be laid before Parliament. It is expected that local authorities will be making reports on three year funding from 2009 onwards.

Voluntary Work: Shipley

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what progress has been made towards ensuring third sector organisations providing services in Shipley constituency are awarded three year contracts;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of contracts awarded to third sector organisations that provide services in Shipley constituency that are three year contracts.

Phil Hope: This information is currently not held centrally.
	I will be reporting on Government progress in meeting the three year funding commitment to HM Treasury on an annual basis. The first report will be made in the autumn 2008 and will be laid before Parliament. It is expected that local authorities will be making reports on three year funding from 2009 onwards.